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Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations Women's Health Australia homepage about the Women's Health Australia project Women's Health Australia staff Women's Health Australia current events Women's Health Australia surveys and data Women's Health Australia substudies information for Women's Health Australia participants University of Newcastle contact Women's Health Australia Women's Health Australia publications and presentations

 
 


Research project

Afsoon Hassani Mehraban
B.Sc (Occupational Therapy) M.Sc (Occupational Therapy), PhD candidate

Doctoral Thesis: A functional model of fall risk

Supervisors: Prof Julie Byles, Dr Lynette Mackenzie, A/Prof. Catherine D’Este

University: Occupational Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle.

Purpose of the study:
This project will explore and apply a new conceptual model of health and function to the problem of falls among older women. Falls are a major cause of morbidity among older women in Australia. They are the leading cause of injury related death in people over the age of 65 and they increase the risk of admission to residential care, reduced activity, leading to social isolation and frailty. However, despite numerous studies of medical and physical risk factors in frail individuals there has been little work to understand the complexity of factors (medical, social, environmental, personal) that influence the risk of falls for women in the community. This project applies the newly developed International Classification of Functioning developed by the World Health Organisation to data collected as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health.

Method and Results:
This project has developed a self-reported version of a validated home hazard checklist (the HOME FAST) designed to identify environmental risks for falls in older people. Using this checklist, data on home hazards and falls have been collected from a sub-sample of 568 women from the ALSWH (86.5% response rate). Combined with other ALSWH surveys, these data allow in-depth analysis of the influence of social and environmental factors on falls risk among community living
elder women and the interaction between these factors and established physical and medical risk factors.

Preliminary analysis indicates that about 20% of the sub-sample experienced a fall in the previous six months. Qualitative responses indicated that these falls can prevent women from continuing with some of their activities, such as home-making activities, outdoor activities and walking. Also, fallers have more hazards at their home than non-fallers. They have more difficulty in doing everyday activities such as dressing/undressing, walking without help, getting outside the house. According to Modified Falls Efficacy scores, non-fallers are more confident in doing their activities
without falling such as preparing simple meals, taking bath/showers, simple shopping.

A validation study is also being conducted to compare self report and the ratings given by health professionals when using the two versions of the HOME FAST. This is currently being conducted with health professionals in the Hunter Region, and results will underpin the validity of the self report HOME FAST being used in this project.

Further analysis will be conducted using longitudinal data to understand the nature of falls risks, limitations in physical home environment and their consequences. Also, according to the preliminary findings two posters will be prepared to present at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress on 23-25 July 2006.


To contact Afsoon:
Occupational Therapy, Hunter Building,
School of Health Sciences
University of Newcastle.

Tel:02 49215690
Fax:02 49216998


E mail: afsoon.hassanimehraban@studentmail.newcastle.edu.au

 
Link to Project Aims page Link to Project Progress page Link to Project Methods page Link to Project Progress page 		 


 
 

Last updated: 17 October 2006 by Cath Chojenta © Copyright