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 conducted 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 Samaan 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 proprioception, 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 showed that older age, higher levels of knee pain, and reduced 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 promoting proprioceptive training should be prioritized as fall prevention strategies among elderly in Indonesia.