The relationship between polypharmacy and fall risk in elderly individuals with chronic diseases

The Relationship Between Polypharmacy and Fall Risk in Elderly Individuals with Chronic Diseases", Trakya University Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Master's Thesis, Edirne, 2025. Background and Aim: The incidence of chronic diseases increases with age, and the use of multiple medications (polypharmacy) in the treatment of these diseases becomes more common. Polypharmacy is a significant factor that increases the risk of falls in older adults. Falls, in turn, can lead to serious health problems and a decrease in quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the polypharmacy status of individuals aged 60 and over with chronic diseases and to examine the relationship between polypharmacy and fall risk. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted between 12.05.2024 and 18.02.2025 in a state hospital in Edirne, using face-to-face interviews with elderly individuals with chronic diseases. A total of 169 volunteers participated in this study. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, fall history, medication use information, and the Falls Behaviour Scale for Older People (FaB). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0 Descriptive statistics (frequency (n), percentage (%), mean±SD), Independent Samples t-test, One-Way ANOVA for more than two groups, Pearson correlation for continuous variables, and Pearson chi-square test for categorical variables were used. Binary logistic regression was applied to determine factors affecting fall history. The significance level was set at p<0,05. Results: The mean age of the 169 elderly individuals who participated in the study was 72.19±7.79 years. The majority of the elderly individuals were female (75.1%) and primary school graduates (70.4%). Among the participants, 55.6% of the individuals reported having experienced at least one fall in the past year. The total score of the Falls Behavior Scale for the Elderly (FAB) was 3.01±0.37, and it was determined that the elderly's self-protection behaviors against falls were at a moderate-good level. Factors found to be significantly associated with falls were gait (66.0%) and balance problems (62.9%) (p<0.05). It was determined that the risk of falls decreased as the education level and BMI of elderly individuals increased, while the risk of falls increased for normal-weight elderly individuals compared to overweight and obese individuals, and for individuals living alone (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that polypharmacy increases the risk of falls among older adults and may influence fall-related behaviors. Nurses are advised to be vigilant about polypharmacy, carefully manage medications, assess fall history, and develop appropriate nursing interventions to reduce fall risk and prevent medication-related adverse outcomes in older adults. Keywords: Fall, fall risk, elderly, polypharmacy, nurse, chronic diseases.