[Comparison of factors of falls between ethnic Korean and Japanese older residents in an urban community in Japan].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study is to clarify the factors associated with falls and the differences of characteristics between ethnic Korean and Japanese older people, using a comprehensive geriatric assessment.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey that consisted of items addressing ethnicity, age, gender, living conditions, mental health, "sense of purpose in life", activities of daily living (ADL), medical history and quality of life (QOL); the participants were 200 ethnic Korean residents in Japan (66 fallers, 134 nonfallers), and 221 Japanese (41 fallers, 180 nonfallers) aged 65 or more living in a community in Osaka City. Findings from the two groups were compared using Student's t-test, the chi-square test and analysis of covariance. We also employed logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
We found that the ethnic Koreans had more prevalence of falls than Japanese (Korean; 32.8%, Japanese; 18.6%, p<0.001). Both ethnic Korean and Japanese fallers were older, and had higher prevalence of hypertension and bone fractures, were more frequently housebound, with depression and had less basic ADL, subjective health and life satisfaction. We found that the ethnic Korean fallers had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, stroke, osteoarthritis and less subjective well-being than nonfallers. The significant factors with falls were being housebound and taking hypnotics among Japanese and decreased basic ADL and visual acuity, higher prevalence of hypertension and depression in ethnic Korean elderly.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings indicate that fallers had a higher prevalence of housebound and depression, and had lower ADL and QOL than nonfallers. We suggest the necessity to approach ethnic Korean older people to control the condition of both their health and life.
Moon
Jeong-Seong
JS
Faculty of Human Studies, Taisei Gakuin University.
Mikami
Hiroshi
H
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D014505:Urban Population