title: The role of geriatric assessment tests and anthropometric measurements in identifying the risk of falls in elderly nursing home residents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relation among the risk of falls, geriatric assessment, and anthropometric measurements, including the mini mental state examination, geriatric depression scale, handgrip test, and key pinch test.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 89 residents hospitalized between May 2014 and September 2015 in the geriatric care unit of the Istanbul Balikli Rum Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Patients were followed-up for one year, and their falls were recorded. Medical records of the included patients were retrieved and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 89 patients, comprising 37 men and 52 women with an average age of 75.8 +/- 8.2 years were included in the study. The residents' annual falling averages were 1.0 +/- 1.5. The most significant factors were identified to be predicted muscle mass, skeletal muscle index, whole body bioimpedance, dominant arm muscle strength, dominant arm bioimpedance, and free fat mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mini mental test, geriatric depression scale and lawton-brody scale combined with the handgrip, 6-meters walking, and bioimpedance tests are favorable for detecting the risk of falls and recurrent falls in vulnerable elderly nursing home residents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Bilim University, Istanbul, Turkey. E-mail. bulentyardimci@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yardimci
authors.forename: Sinan N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Aran
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozkaya
authors.forename: Sevki M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Gulsen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tezcan
authors.forename: Aysegul Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Kaptanoglu
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014421:Turkey