Factores sociodemográficos, antropométricos y clínico-funcionales asociados al riesgo de caídas en adultos mayores de una parroquia rural del Ecuador

Abstract

Falls are a major public health problem in aging, especially in rural areas where factors such as physical condition, society, and health make people more vulnerable. Objective. This study sought to determine whether there is a relationship between socioeconomic factors, physical measurements, and health with the risk of falling in older adults living in a small rural town in Ecuador. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using numbers to examine the relationships among 314 people aged 65 and older, collecting data using health questionnaires, bioimpedance to determine body composition, and tests on how the body functions. The statistical analysis included Student's t-tests, chi-square tests, and a binary logistic regression model with many variables (p < 0.05). Results.  The data showed that the high risk of falling is closely linked to advanced age (77.01± 8.25 years; p=0.000), being female (77.6%; p=0.033), and being inactive (p=0.008). Conclusion. The multivariate model identified chronic diseases as the most critical predictor, tripling the probability of risk (OR=3.017; p=0.001), followed by low educational level, which doubles it (OR=2.161; p=0.008).

Parameters such as BMI and muscle mass lost significance in the joint analysis, demonstrating that clinical health and social context predominate over isolated anthropometry. It is concluded that rural vulnerability in Ecuador is primarily linked to multimorbidity and social determinants, which requires multidisciplinary programs that prioritize comprehensive clinical management and health literacy to preserve the functional autonomy of this population.