CORRELATION BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND FALLS AMONG ELDERLY

PATIENT HOSPITALIZED AT GERIATRIC WARD IN SANGLAH HOSPITAL

IDG Teguh Krisna Murti1, RA Tuty Kuswardhani2

2
Geriatric division, 1Department of Internal Medicine

Udayana University/Sanglah Hospital

ABSTRACT

Background and Objective: Depression and falls are two common conditions that impair the
health of older people. Both are relatively underdiagnosed and undertreatment problems in
primary care. . The objective of this study was to study the correlations of depression state and
falls among elderly.

Method: Cross-sectional design using the analytical observational was conducted with purposive
sampling. Total subject of this study who met the inclusion criteria was one hundred twenty nine
person elderly, taken at Sanglah Hospital Denpasar Bali Indonesia from January 2016 until may
2016. Status of depression are based on Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30) criteria and Data
incidence of falls we take from the history of the event falls at least once incident falls during
this period regardless of the number of people falling. Based on GDS-30 criteria, depression
status divided into two categories, depression (score ≥10) and no depression (score <10).
Statistical test using chi-square test and Lamda’s bivariate correlation test.

Result: fifty six elderly in geriatric ward Sanglah Hospital were included. The total prevalence
of depression was 50% (28 elderly ) . The prevalence of subject with the history of the event falls
was 29,5% (10 elderly ). The result showed that depression in elderly was significantly
associated with impaired functional status (p=0.001) and there was significant correlation as well
between depression and falls (r=0.500; p=0.022).

Conclusion: Depression was significantly associated with the events of falls and it has moderate
correlation with impaired functional status.

Keywords: Depression, falls, elderly