To understand the fall risk level of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in Beijing community and analyze the influencing factors of fall risk.

This study was a cross-sectional survey. Using the convenient sampling method, a total of 138 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes from 1 community health service center and 5 subordinate community health service stations in Beijing from April to September 2021 were selected as the research objects. The patients were surveyed using Self-rating Fall Risk Scale in the Elderly, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) , the Chinese version of Tilburg Frailty Scale, Berg Balance Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation of fall risk with sleep quality, frailty and depression in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of fall risk. A total of 138 questionnaires were distributed in this study, and 126 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 91.30%.

Among the 126 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in the community, 57.14% (72/126) were at risk of falling. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the fall risk scores of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes with different genders, whether there were complications, orthostatic hypotension, per capita monthly household income, marital status, and whether they fell in the past 1 year (P<0.05) . Correlation analysis showed that sleep quality, frailty and depression scores were positively correlated with the risk of falling (P<0.05) , and balance ability was negatively correlated with the risk of falling (P<0.05) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that gender, marital status, falling in the past 1 year, sleep quality, degree of frailty, balance ability, and living style were the influencing factors for the risk of falls in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in the community (P<0.05) .

Elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in the community have a higher incidence of falls. Being female, living alone, divorced or widowed, poor balance, poor sleep quality, fattening and a history of falls within the past 1 year were risk factors for falls. It is suggested that community nursing staff should pay high attention to the elderly patients with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk of falling, strengthen the education of the high-risk group and their families and reduce the risk of falling in the elderly with diabetes at home.

Aged; Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Accidental falls; Community nursing; Influencing factors