Background: Falls are a common and often preventable cause of injury and death among older adults.
Hearing loss, vestibular disorders, dizziness, and imbalance are common risk factors
for falls; however, the rate of falls among older audiology patients has never been
assessed.
Purpose: To examine the fall history and risk factors of older adults seen in a university
audiology clinic.
Research Design: A descriptive and correlational retrospective chart review of fall history and characteristics
of patients seen in a university audiology clinic.
Study Sample: 88 (51 women, 37 men) patients aged 60 yr and older seen in a university audiology
clinic.
Data Collection and Analysis: At the time of hearing evaluation, clinic patients filled out the Activities-Specific
Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, as well as a history form containing fall-related
questions. These measures, as well as demographic information (gender and age) were
retrieved during a retrospective chart review. Data were analyzed with independent-samples
t-tests, Pearson correlations, and descriptive statistics.
Results: Fifty percent of the study sample reported falling within the preceding 12 mo, while
70% reported having fallen at some point in the past. ABC Scale score was negatively
correlated with age and number of recent falls.
Conclusions: There appears to be a higher prevalence of falls within a university audiology clinic
relative to previously published fall rates in the general population.
Key Words
Aged - audiology - risk of falls
