Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of falls in older patients with fragility fractures and frailty

OBJECTIVE: To investigate falls among older patients with fragility fractures and frailty and analyze their influencing factors. METHODS: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 245 older patients with fragility fractures and frailty admitted to the Department of Orthopedics at Zibo Central Hospital from January to May 2025 were selected as study participants. A general information questionnaire, the Fall Risk Assessment Scale for Older Adults, the Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form, the Self-Care Ability Scale, and the SARC-F questionnaire were used for the survey. RESULTS: The fall risk assessment scale score among older patients with fragility fractures and frailty was (7.63±4.85) points, and 198 patients (80.8%) were at moderate risk. Age (＞80 years), sarcopenia, nutritional status, and self-care ability were the main influencing factors (P＜0.05). Sarcopenia was positively correlated with fall risk in older patients with fragility fractures and frailty (r=0.734,P＜0.05), and nutritional status was negatively correlated with fall risk (r=-0.610,P＜0.05); regarding the temporal and spatial distribution of falls, the afternoon (12∶00-18∶00) was the peak period for falls among older patients with fragility fractures and frailty, accounting for 37.55%; 51.42% of patients fell outdoors, and unsteady gait (28.57%), slipping (26.53%), and weakness in both legs (14.28%) were the main causes of falls. CONCLUSIONS: Older patients with fragility fractures and frailty have a moderate level of fall risk. Establishing a multidisciplinary collaborative early warning management system for fall prevention in clinical practice is recommended, with a focus on early identification of patients of advanced age, those dependent on others for self-care, and those with sarcopenia, to achieve stratified, targeted interventions.