ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, RECURRENT, AND SINGLE FALLS FROM PREVQUEDAS BRAZIL

Abstract

Introduction: Depressive symptoms are associated with falls in a variety of studies in developed countries. Objectives: 1) To examine the association between abnormal 15-item GDS score, single and recurrent falls in community-dwelling older adults in a developing country. 2) To check if recurrent fallers have greater scores in 15-item GDS, examining if it has any association with age, ethnicity, genre, and numbers of medications used. Methods: Transversal data analyzed was extracted from Prevquedas Brasil, a Multicenter parallel-group randomized controlled trial that evaluates the effectiveness of a multifactorial falls prevention program in reducing the rate of falls in community-dwelling older people. Statistical Analysis: Pearson Chi-square test used to compare positive screening for depressive symptoms (GDS >5) and fall events (single or recurrent). Sociodemographic variables were analyzed by logistic regression. Stata® software was used. Results: 402 participants (mean age 73.8 ± 7.1years; 88.1% women; 59.8% white). Recurrent falls have association with GDS >5 (92 vs. 28, p=0.008). The mean GDS score is greater for recurrent fallers than to non-recurrent fallers (p<0,001). After logistic regression for sociodemographic variables and medications, elderly with GDS >5 had twice more chance to be a recurrent faller (OR 2.0, 95%IC 1.2–3.3; p=0.007), compared to GDS ≦5. Conclusions: Abnormal 15-item GDS and its greater scores are associated with recurrent fallers in elderly from a developing country.