Determinants of risk of fall among knee osteoarthritis patients in Malang, Indonesia

Objective: To analyse the determinants of risk of falls
among knee OA patients in Malang, Indonesia.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conduc
ted using purposive sampling techniques. Inclusion
criteria were diagnosed with knee OA and aged above
55 years old. There were 53 respondents recruited from
Puskesmas Rampal Celaket and Posyandu Lansia Sam
aan Malang from April to September 2023. We used
Morse Fall Scale (MFS) to measure the risk of fall, a
lower limb-matching task measuring knee propriocept
ion, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) measuring knee
pain, and sociodemographic questionnaires. Data were
analysed bivariate using analysis of variance (ANOVA)
and T-test, while multivariate linear regression used to
determine significant risk of fall predictors.
Results: A multivariate linear regression analysis sho
wed that older age, higher levels of knee pain, and redu
ced knee proprioception were significantly associated
with an increased risk of falls. The regression model had
an adjusted R2 of 0.21.
Conclusion: Programs focusing on managing knee
pain and improving knee proprioception through pro
moting proprioceptive training should be prioritized as
fall prevention strategies among elderly in Indonesia.