TABLE 4.
Comparisons of Characteristics Between Fallers and Nonfallers in the Low-Risk Group (n = 1887)
| Variables | Categories | Nonfaller (n = 1749) | Faller (n = 138) | χ2/t | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) or M ± SD | n (%) or M ± SD | |||||
| Sex | Male | 1152 (65.7) | 73 (52.9) | 9.44 | 0.003 | |
| Age, y | 54.99 ± 13.49 | 59.73 ± 14.80 | 3.95 | <0.001 | ||
| Length of hospitalization, d | 36.25 ± 22.10 | 26.63 ± 53.35 | 2.07 | 0.040 | ||
| Education | ≤Elementary | 259 (14.8) | 28 (20.7) | 3.42 | 0.331 | |
| Middle school | 242 (13.9) | 18 (13.3) | ||||
| High school | 689 (39.5) | 50 (37.0) | ||||
| ≥College | 556 (31.8) | 39 (28.9) | ||||
| Body mass index | Underweight | 144 (8.3) | 19 (13.8) | 4.83 | 0.089 | |
| Normal weight | 1070 (61.7) | 81 (58.7) | ||||
| Overweight | 520 (30.0) | 38 (27.5) | ||||
| Surgery | Yes | 1003 (57.3) | 57 (41.3) | 13.37 | <0.001 | |
| Department | Hematology/oncology | 361 (20.6) | 28 (20.3) | 150.68 | <0.001 | |
| Gastrointestinal medicine | 532 (30.4) | 25 (18.1) | ||||
| Internal medicine (other) | 61 (3.5) | 12 (8.7) | ||||
| General surgery | 596 (34.1) | 37 (26.8) | ||||
| Neuro/chest/orthopedics | 81 (4.6) | 12 (8.7) | ||||
| Obstetrics gynecology/urology | 118 (6.7) | 14 (10.1) | ||||
| Surgery (other) | 0 (0) | 10 (7.2) | ||||
| Diagnosis | Vascular, pulmonary | 52 (3.0) | 6 (4.3) | 25.15 | <0.001 | |
| Neoplasm | 1169 (66.8) | 86 (62.3) | ||||
| Liver, digestive | 322 (18.4) | 12 (.6) | ||||
| Infectious | 64 (3.7) | 9 (6.5) | ||||
| Others | 142 (8.1) | 25 (18.1) | ||||
| Morse Fall Scale items | History of falling | Yes | 8 (0.5) | 2 (1.4) | 2.39 | 0.163 |
| Secondary diagnosis | Yes | 926 (52.9) | 85 (61.6) | 3.85 | 0.051 | |
| IV or heparin lock | Yes | 1526 (87.2) | 113 (81.9) | 3.23 | 0.088 | |
| Ambulatory aid: none/bed rest/nurse assist | Yes | 1730 (98.9) | 136 (98.6) | 0.15 | 0.663 | |
| Ambulatory aid: crutches/cane/walker | Yes | 19 (1.1) | 2 (1.4) | |||
| Gait normal/bed rest/immobile | Yes | 1652 (94.5) | 126 (91.3) | 3.47 | 0.177 | |
| Gait: weak | Yes | 91 (5.2) | 12 (8.7) | |||
| Gait: impaired | Yes | 6 (0.3) | 0 (0) | |||
| Mental status: oriented to own ability | Yes | 1748 (99.9) | 136 (98.6) | 15.62 | 0.015 | |
| Mental status: forgets limitations | Yes | 1 (0.1) | 2 (1.4) | |||