2014 Volume 3 Pages 32-38
Objective：I aimed to examine factors related to slight dizziness to prevent falls. Methods：I analyzed 108 community-dwelling elderly subjects to obtain answers concerning lifestyle- and health-related items and general self-efficacy scale（GSES）, using a questionnaire. Furthermore, blood pressure and heart rate for each patient were measured in a standing position test（sitting, standing, and in a standing position）. I obtained the autonomic nerve index from heart rate measurements. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted using the presence or absence of awareness regarding slight dizziness as the dependent variable（0：absence, 1：presence）.The presence or absence of chronic fatigue, lower limb-related health problems, frequency of outings per week,（dummy variable 0：absence, 1：presence）, GSES scores, diastolic blood pressure when standing, and low frequency autonomic nerve index were used as independent variables. Results：Lower limb-related health problems（OR = 10.587, 95% CI 3.897-28.765）and chronic fatigue（OR = 3.155, 95% CI 1.134-8.781）significantly increased the odds ratio for awareness regarding slight dizziness. Diastolic blood pressure of 71.2 mmHg（OR = 0.884, 95% CI 0.902-0.996）decreased significantly awareness regarding slight dizziness. Conclusion：Preventing falls in the elderly can be incorporated into healthcare, including lower limb care, recovery from a feeling of weariness, and blood pressure measurements.
