Hostname: page-component-669899f699-8p65j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-25T13:36:35.440Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Predicting fall risk in elderly ındividuals: a comparative analysis of machine learning models using patient characteristics, functional balance tests and computerized dynamic posturography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2024

Emre Soylemez*
Affiliation:
Department of Audiometry, Vocational School of Health Services, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Turkey Institute of Health Sciences, Audiology and Speech Disorders, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
Suna Tokgoz-Yilmaz
Affiliation:
Department of Audiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey Audiology, Balance and Speech Disorders Unit, Medical Faculty, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
*
Corresponding author: Emre Soylemez; Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to predict the risk of falling using patient characteristics, computerized dynamic posturography and functional balance tests in machine learning.

Methods

One hundred twenty elderly individuals were included in this study. The fall status, physical characteristics and medical history of individuals were investigated. Pure tone audiometry test, simple functional balance tests and sensory organization test were applied to the individuals.

Results

The machine learning model that incorporated co-morbidities, physical characteristics and functional balance tests achieved a 100 per cent accuracy in predicting fall risk. Models using only co-morbidities and physical characteristics, functional balance tests or the sensory organization test had accuracies of 87.5 per cent, 83.34 per cent and 91.66 per cent, respectively.

Conclusion

Advanced balance systems are not always necessary to assess fall risk. Instead, fall risk can be effectively determined using simple balance tests, co-morbidities, and patient characteristics in machine learning.

Type
Main Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Footnotes

Emre Soylemez takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

References

Burt, CW, Fingerhut, LA. Injury visits to hospital emergency departments: United States, 1992-95. Vital Health Stat 1998;131:1–76Google Scholar
Black, SE, Maki, BE, Fernie, GR. Aging, imbalance and falls. In: Barber, H, Sharp, HO, eds. The Vestibulo-ocular Reflex and Vertigo. Seattle: Raven Press, 1993;317–35Google Scholar
Kerber, KA, Enrietto, JA, Jacobson, KM Baloh, RW. Disequilibrium in older people: a prospective study. Neurology 1998;51:574–80Google Scholar
Cadore, EL, Rodríguez-Mañas, L, Sinclair, A. Izquierdo, M. Effects of different exercise interventions on risk of falls, gait ability, and balance in physically frail older adults: a systematic review. Rejuvenation Res 2013;16:105–14Google Scholar
Rubenstein, LZ. Falls in older people: epidemiology, risk factors and strategies for prevention. Age Ageing 2006;35:ii37–41Google Scholar
Müjdeci, B, Aksoy, S, Atas, A. Evaluation of balance in fallers and non-fallers elderly. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2012;78:104–9Google Scholar
Kozinc, Ž, Löfler, S, Hofer, C, Carraro, U, Šarabon, N. Diagnostic balance tests for assessing risk of falls and distinguishing older adult fallers and non-fallers: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020;10:667Google Scholar
Amisha Malik, P, Pathania, M, Rathaur, VK. Overview of artificial intelligence in medicine. J Family Med Prim Care 2019;8:2328–31Google Scholar
Abbasgholizadeh, Rahimi S, Légaré, F, Sharma, G, Archambault, P, Zomahoun, HTV, Chandavong, S, et al. Application of artificial ıntelligence in community-based primary health care: systematic scoping review and critical appraisal. J Med Internet Res 2021;23:e29839Google Scholar
Güngen, C, Ertan, T, Eker, E, Yaşar, R, Engin, F. [Reliability and validity of the standardized Mini Mental State Examination in the diagnosis of mild dementia in Turkish population]. Turk Psikiyatri Derg 2002;13:273–81Google Scholar
Ajmani, S, Keshri, A, Srivastava, R, Aggarwal, A, Lawrence, A. Hearing loss in ankylosing spondylitis. Int J Rheum Dis 2019;22:1202–8Google Scholar
Noh, H, Lee, D-H. Predictable factors of people with asymmetrical hearing loss wearing a hearing aid in the worse ear only. J Clin Med 2023;14;12:2251Google Scholar
Forbes, J, Munakomi, S, Cronovich, HA. Romberg Test. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing Copyright 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563187/ [19 March 2025]Google Scholar
Vellas, BJ, Wayne, SJ, Romero, L, Baumgartner, RN, Rubenstein, LZ, Garry, PJ. One-leg balance is an important predictor of injurious falls in older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc 1997;45:735–8Google Scholar
Duncan, PW, Weiner, DK, Chandler, J, Studenski, S. Functional reach: a new clinical measure of balance. J Gerontol 1990;45:M192–7Google Scholar
Podsiadlo, D, Richardson, S. The timed “Up & Go”: a test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons. J Am Geriatr Soc 1991;39:142–8Google Scholar
Tinetti, ME. Performance-oriented assessment of mobility problems in elderly patients. J Am Geriatr Soc 1986;34:119–26Google Scholar
Wewers, ME, Lowe, NK. A critical review of visual analogue scales in the measurement of clinical phenomena. Res Nurs Health 1990;13:227–36Google Scholar
Vanicek, N, King, SA, Gohil, R, Chetter, IC, Coughlin, PA. Computerized dynamic posturography for postural control assessment in patients with intermittent claudication. J Vis Exp 2013:e51077Google Scholar
Akyol, AD. Falls in the elderly: what can be done? Int Nurs Rev 2007;54:191–6Google Scholar
Gale, CR, Cooper, C, Aihie Sayer, A. Prevalence and risk factors for falls in older men and women: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Age Ageing 2016;45:789–94Google Scholar
Johansson, J, Nordström, A, Nordström, P. Greater fall risk in elderly women than in men is associated with increased gait variability during multitasking. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2016;17:535–40Google Scholar
Mijangos, ADS, la Cruz, PG, Alfaro, LIS, Ribón, TS. Factores de riesgo de caídas e índice de masa corporal en el adulto mayor hospitalizado. Rev Cuid 2019;10:e621Google Scholar
Son, SM. Influence of obesity on postural stability in young adults. Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2016;7:378–81Google Scholar
Sibley, KM, Voth, J, Munce, SE, Straus, SE, Jaglal, SB. Chronic disease and falls in community-dwelling Canadians over 65 years old: a population-based study exploring associations with number and pattern of chronic conditions. BMC Geriatr 2014;14:22Google Scholar
Morris, M, Osborne, D, Hill, K, Kendig, H, Lundgren-Lindquist, B, Browning, C, et al. Predisposing factors for occasional and multiple falls in older Australians who live at home. Aust J Physiother 2004;50:153–9Google Scholar
Usmani, S, Saboor, A, Haris, M, Khan, MA, Park, H. Latest research trends in fall detection and prevention using machine learning: a systematic review. Sensors (Basel) 2021;21:5134Google Scholar
Yadav, P, Vijay, V. Fall prediction using machine learning - a systematic review. Am J Biomed Sci Res 2023;18:637–46Google Scholar
Thapa, R, Garikipati, A, Shokouhi, S, Hurtado, M, Barnes, G, Hoffman, J, et al. Predicting falls in long-term care facilities: machine learning study. JMIR Aging 2022;5:e35373Google Scholar
Ikeda, T, Cooray, U, Hariyama, M, Aida, J, Kondo, K, Murakami, M, et al. An interpretable machine learning approach to predict fall risk among community-dwelling older adults: a three-year longitudinal study. J Gen Intern Med 2022;37:2727–35Google Scholar
Fahimi, F, Taylor, WR, Dietzel, R, Armbrecht, G, Singh, Nb. Identifying fallers based on functional parameters: a machine learning approach. 2021 IEEE Asia-Pacific Conference on Computer Science and Data Engineering (CSDE) 2021;1–6Google Scholar
Ziegl, A, Hayn, D, Kastner, P, Loffler, K, Weidinger, L, Brix, B, et al. Machine learning based walking aid detection in timed up-and-go test recordings of elderly patients. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2020; 808–11Google Scholar
Tongterm, T, Suputtitada, A, Lawsirirat, C, Janwantanakul, P. Functional fitness test for screening the risk of falls in the elderly: using decision tree technique. J Exer Physiol Online 2015;18:104Google Scholar