Association between obesity, physical activity and falls among elderly patients attending the family medicine clinics of a teaching hospital in Southern Nigeria

Background Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the elderly, often resulting in injury, disability, and loss of independence. Obesity and physical inactivity are believed to impact the risk of falls among the elderly, yet the relationship remains poorly understood, especially in Nigeria. This study aimed to evaluate the association between obesity, physical activity, and falls among elderly patients attending the Family Medicine Clinic of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo State, Nigeria. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 288 elderly patients were systematically sampled. Data collection included socio-demographic information, fall history, physical examination, and anthropometric measurements of obesity using body mass index (BMI) and physical activity using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Chi square test and logistic regression analysis were used to determine associations between variables. Level of significance was set at P value < 0.05%. Result Among participants, 25.9% reported at least one fall in the previous year. Obesity prevalence was 14.4%, with a significantly higher number (77.5%) of obese participants reporting falls compared to non-obese (17.2%) participants (p < 0.0001). Physical inactivity was also associated with increased fall risk, though this was not statistically significant. Logistic regression analysis revealed that obese participants had a significantly higher risk of falling (adjusted odds ratio (aOR = 16.55; 95%CI = 7.33,37.38; p < 0.001), while physical inactivity showed no significant association with falls (aOR = 0.52; 95%CI = 0.21,1.71; p = 0.297). Conclusion Obesity appears to be a strong predictor of fall risk among elderly individuals. There is need for incorporating weight reduction and physical activity programs into the elderly people's care to mitigate fall risk. Further research, particularly interventional studies, is recommended to establish effective preventive measures tailored to the elderly populations. Clinical trial numberNot applicable.