Inverted U-shaped relationship between Barthel Index Score and falls in Chinese non-bedridden patients: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Background

Performing activities of daily living comprise an important risk factor for falls among non-bedridden stroke inpatients in rehabilitation departments.

Objectives

To explore the correlation between Barthel Index score and the occurrence of falls in non-bedridden stroke rehabilitation inpatients.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, information of patients grouped as non-bedridden patients by the Longshi Scale was collected.

Results

A total of 3097 patients were included in this study, with a fall incidence of 10.43%. After adjusting covariates, the total score of Barthel Index and falls in non-bedridden inpatients after stroke presented an inverted U-shaped curve relationship, in which inflection point was 60. The effect sizes on the left and right sides of infection point were 1.02 (95%CI 1.00–1.04) and 0.97 (95%CI 0.96–0.99), respectively.

Conclusions

Non-bedridden stroke patients with moderate activities of daily living (ADL) capacity may be at particularly increased risk of falls in rehabilitation departments.

KEYWORDS:

• Barthel Index Score
• falls
• non-bedridden patients
• stroke
• Longshi Scale

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to all the physicians, nurses, and therapists who collected data and all the participants of this research. We also would like to thank the Yilanda, Network Technology co., LTD, for developing Quicker Recovery Line platform and recruitment participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author WYL, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant code: 2020YFC2008700), a grant from the Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen (No. SZSM202111010); Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (Grant code: 2020A1515111134); National Natural Science Foundation of China (82205065); Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Program (JCYJ20230807115123047) and Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital Clinical Research Foundation (20213357022, 2023yjlcyj017).