Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria

Ezra Agbo; Collins Amadi; Chika Okwor; Ijeoma Meka; Adeyinka Akande; Promise Aloysius

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13

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Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria

Ezra Agbo, Collins Amadi, Chika Okwor, Ijeoma Meka, Adeyinka Akande, Promise Aloysius

Published in European Journal of Preventive Medicine (Volume 10, Issue 1)

Received: 4 January 2022 Accepted: 19 January 2022 Published: 26 January 2022

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Abstract

Background: Vitamin D has been known to play an important role in musculoskeletal health. As a result, it is postulated that low vitamin D status is responsible for falls in the elderly due to the genomic role of the vitamin on Vitamin-D-receptors (VDR) in muscle cells and its non-genomic role in calcium influx into muscles. Hence, the present study aimed to establish the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and fall events in the elderly to reduce morbidity. Methods: It was a prospective, case-controlled, and cross-sectional study of 89 patients aged ≥ 60 years that had experienced at least one fall in the previous 12 months in three rural communities of Enugu State and their 124 age-matched controls. Serum 25(OH)D was assayed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay and the number of falls was obtained from interviewer-administered questionnaires. Acquired data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Result: The mean serum 25(OH)D level of patients was significantly lower than that of controls (patients 24.6±7.2 ng/mL versus controls 56.0±9.2 ng/mL; p=0.0001), and showed a significant negative correlation with the number of falls in the elderly (r=-0.347, p=0.002). Nevertheless, no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels of male and female patients and control groups was observed (p>0.05). There was a statistically increasing number of falls with increasing age and decreasing serum 25(OH)D levels (p=0.0001) among the patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that serum 25(OH)D level is inversely related to the number of falls experienced by the elderly irrespective of gender.

Published in	European Journal of Preventive Medicine (Volume 10, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13
Page(s)	11-16
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Falls, Elderly, Vitamin D, Serum 25(OH)D

References

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APA Style

Ezra Agbo, Collins Amadi, Chika Okwor, Ijeoma Meka, Adeyinka Akande, et al. (2022). Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria. European Journal of Preventive Medicine, 10(1), 11-16. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13

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ACS Style

Ezra Agbo; Collins Amadi; Chika Okwor; Ijeoma Meka; Adeyinka Akande, et al. Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria. Eur. J. Prev. Med. 2022, 10(1), 11-16. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13

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AMA Style

Ezra Agbo, Collins Amadi, Chika Okwor, Ijeoma Meka, Adeyinka Akande, et al. Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria. Eur J Prev Med. 2022;10(1):11-16. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13,
  author = {Ezra Agbo and Collins Amadi and Chika Okwor and Ijeoma Meka and Adeyinka Akande and Promise Aloysius},
  title = {Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria},
  journal = {European Journal of Preventive Medicine},
  volume = {10},
  number = {1},
  pages = {11-16},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ejpm.20221001.13},
  abstract = {Background: Vitamin D has been known to play an important role in musculoskeletal health. As a result, it is postulated that low vitamin D status is responsible for falls in the elderly due to the genomic role of the vitamin on Vitamin-D-receptors (VDR) in muscle cells and its non-genomic role in calcium influx into muscles. Hence, the present study aimed to establish the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and fall events in the elderly to reduce morbidity. Methods: It was a prospective, case-controlled, and cross-sectional study of 89 patients aged ≥ 60 years that had experienced at least one fall in the previous 12 months in three rural communities of Enugu State and their 124 age-matched controls. Serum 25(OH)D was assayed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay and the number of falls was obtained from interviewer-administered questionnaires. Acquired data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Result: The mean serum 25(OH)D level of patients was significantly lower than that of controls (patients 24.6±7.2 ng/mL versus controls 56.0±9.2 ng/mL; p=0.0001), and showed a significant negative correlation with the number of falls in the elderly (r=-0.347, p=0.002). Nevertheless, no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels of male and female patients and control groups was observed (p>0.05). There was a statistically increasing number of falls with increasing age and decreasing serum 25(OH)D levels (p=0.0001) among the patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that serum 25(OH)D level is inversely related to the number of falls experienced by the elderly irrespective of gender.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria
AU  - Ezra Agbo
AU  - Collins Amadi
AU  - Chika Okwor
AU  - Ijeoma Meka
AU  - Adeyinka Akande
AU  - Promise Aloysius
Y1  - 2022/01/26
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13
T2  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
JF  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
JO  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
SP  - 11
EP  - 16
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8230
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13
AB  - Background: Vitamin D has been known to play an important role in musculoskeletal health. As a result, it is postulated that low vitamin D status is responsible for falls in the elderly due to the genomic role of the vitamin on Vitamin-D-receptors (VDR) in muscle cells and its non-genomic role in calcium influx into muscles. Hence, the present study aimed to establish the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and fall events in the elderly to reduce morbidity. Methods: It was a prospective, case-controlled, and cross-sectional study of 89 patients aged ≥ 60 years that had experienced at least one fall in the previous 12 months in three rural communities of Enugu State and their 124 age-matched controls. Serum 25(OH)D was assayed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay and the number of falls was obtained from interviewer-administered questionnaires. Acquired data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Result: The mean serum 25(OH)D level of patients was significantly lower than that of controls (patients 24.6±7.2 ng/mL versus controls 56.0±9.2 ng/mL; p=0.0001), and showed a significant negative correlation with the number of falls in the elderly (r=-0.347, p=0.002). Nevertheless, no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels of male and female patients and control groups was observed (p>0.05). There was a statistically increasing number of falls with increasing age and decreasing serum 25(OH)D levels (p=0.0001) among the patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that serum 25(OH)D level is inversely related to the number of falls experienced by the elderly irrespective of gender.
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Ezra Agbo

Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Nigeria
Collins Amadi

Department of Chemical Pathology, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Chika Okwor

Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Nigeria
Ijeoma Meka

Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Nigeria
Adeyinka Akande

Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Ilorin, Illorin, Nigeria
Promise Aloysius

Everight Diagnostic and Laboratory Services Ltd, Abuja, Nigeria

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APA Style

Ezra Agbo, Collins Amadi, Chika Okwor, Ijeoma Meka, Adeyinka Akande, et al. (2022). Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria. European Journal of Preventive Medicine, 10(1), 11-16. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13

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ACS Style

Ezra Agbo; Collins Amadi; Chika Okwor; Ijeoma Meka; Adeyinka Akande, et al. Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria. Eur. J. Prev. Med. 2022, 10(1), 11-16. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13

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AMA Style

Ezra Agbo, Collins Amadi, Chika Okwor, Ijeoma Meka, Adeyinka Akande, et al. Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria. Eur J Prev Med. 2022;10(1):11-16. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13,
  author = {Ezra Agbo and Collins Amadi and Chika Okwor and Ijeoma Meka and Adeyinka Akande and Promise Aloysius},
  title = {Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria},
  journal = {European Journal of Preventive Medicine},
  volume = {10},
  number = {1},
  pages = {11-16},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ejpm.20221001.13},
  abstract = {Background: Vitamin D has been known to play an important role in musculoskeletal health. As a result, it is postulated that low vitamin D status is responsible for falls in the elderly due to the genomic role of the vitamin on Vitamin-D-receptors (VDR) in muscle cells and its non-genomic role in calcium influx into muscles. Hence, the present study aimed to establish the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and fall events in the elderly to reduce morbidity. Methods: It was a prospective, case-controlled, and cross-sectional study of 89 patients aged ≥ 60 years that had experienced at least one fall in the previous 12 months in three rural communities of Enugu State and their 124 age-matched controls. Serum 25(OH)D was assayed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay and the number of falls was obtained from interviewer-administered questionnaires. Acquired data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Result: The mean serum 25(OH)D level of patients was significantly lower than that of controls (patients 24.6±7.2 ng/mL versus controls 56.0±9.2 ng/mL; p=0.0001), and showed a significant negative correlation with the number of falls in the elderly (r=-0.347, p=0.002). Nevertheless, no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels of male and female patients and control groups was observed (p>0.05). There was a statistically increasing number of falls with increasing age and decreasing serum 25(OH)D levels (p=0.0001) among the patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that serum 25(OH)D level is inversely related to the number of falls experienced by the elderly irrespective of gender.},
 year = {2022}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and Incidences of Falls Among the Elderly in Some South-Eastern Communities of Nigeria
AU  - Ezra Agbo
AU  - Collins Amadi
AU  - Chika Okwor
AU  - Ijeoma Meka
AU  - Adeyinka Akande
AU  - Promise Aloysius
Y1  - 2022/01/26
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13
T2  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
JF  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
JO  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
SP  - 11
EP  - 16
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8230
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20221001.13
AB  - Background: Vitamin D has been known to play an important role in musculoskeletal health. As a result, it is postulated that low vitamin D status is responsible for falls in the elderly due to the genomic role of the vitamin on Vitamin-D-receptors (VDR) in muscle cells and its non-genomic role in calcium influx into muscles. Hence, the present study aimed to establish the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and fall events in the elderly to reduce morbidity. Methods: It was a prospective, case-controlled, and cross-sectional study of 89 patients aged ≥ 60 years that had experienced at least one fall in the previous 12 months in three rural communities of Enugu State and their 124 age-matched controls. Serum 25(OH)D was assayed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay and the number of falls was obtained from interviewer-administered questionnaires. Acquired data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Result: The mean serum 25(OH)D level of patients was significantly lower than that of controls (patients 24.6±7.2 ng/mL versus controls 56.0±9.2 ng/mL; p=0.0001), and showed a significant negative correlation with the number of falls in the elderly (r=-0.347, p=0.002). Nevertheless, no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels of male and female patients and control groups was observed (p>0.05). There was a statistically increasing number of falls with increasing age and decreasing serum 25(OH)D levels (p=0.0001) among the patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that serum 25(OH)D level is inversely related to the number of falls experienced by the elderly irrespective of gender.
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
ER  -

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