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KMID : 1023720150680010389
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Journal of Welfare for the Aged
2015 Volume.68 No. 1 p.389 ~ p.408
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The Effect of Falling on the Mortality of Elderly Koreans
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Yeom Ji-Hye
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Abstract
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The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which falling affects mortality rates on older Korean adults after considering demographic and health related factors. Data from Wave 1 (2006) to Wave 4 (2012) from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA) were utilized. Participants in Wave 1 were aged 65 and over. All variables from Wave 1 were applied, except for the dependent variable, the deceased, from Waves 2, 3, and 4. The quantity of falling incidents as a time dependent variable also came from Wave 1 to Wave 4 data. The total number of cases was 3,917. The deceased numbered 611. Since the variables considered were death, survival, and survival time, a time-dependent Cox regression model was employed to examine the causal relationship between the timing of falls and death. The result is that the relationship between education and death disappears after controlling factors related to demographics and health. This regression model further demonstrates a statistical significance that if the time-dependent experience of falling increases by 1, then the hazard ratio for death increases 15 times. A fall itself does not affect death, but accumulated falls over time significantly affect death. By educating the community on how the elderly can live healthier lives, such as eating a balanced diet to prevent them from becoming underweight, aged people may be able to survive longer. In turn, lifestyle changes along with education can decrease the hazard ratio for death. More importantly, once older adults fall, they should be cared for until complete recovery to impede additional falls.
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KEYWORD
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falling, mortality, KLoSA
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