Finlayson, KathleenFatani, Rawan2026-04-292022https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14154/78818This study examined how common wounds are among older adults with dementia and what factors are linked to their occurrence. Using retrospective data from 65 participants, the researchers found that 66.1% had at least one wound, with skin tears and pressure injuries being the most common types. Increased age, impaired mobility, and living in residential aged care were associated with a higher prevalence of wounds, while risk assessment tools and allied health involvement were linked to lower prevalence. Overall, the study concludes that wounds are common in people with dementia and highlights both risk and protective factors, although the small sample size limits generalization.Background As the population of older people grows worldwide, the ageing process is associated with critical physical, mental, and cognitive well-being changes. Ageing is a risk factor for chronic diseases and health problems, such as dementia, which have adverse effects on individuals, communities, and the healthcare system. Skin integrity in the epidermis and dermis is affected by ageing. As a result of dementia and cognitive decline, persons with dementia may have difficulty processing information accurately, which increases their risk of wounds and impacts their ability to manage them. Individuals with cognitively impaired are more likely to develop wounds because their impaired cognition may lead to falls and altered mobility. There is insufficient literature reporting the prevalence of wounds among adults with dementia and cognitive impairments. Most of the studies on wounds that excluded these populations from the research, most likely because of difficulties in communication and obstacles in handling information, and there are thus few reports in the literature on the factors that contribute to the incidence of wounds in this population. Aim This study aims to identify the prevalence of wounds in older adults with dementia and to explore the wound types and factors associated with the prevalence of wounds in this particular group. Methods This is a retrospective study using a secondary analysis of data from two previous cross-sectional studies collected for another purpose. The total sample was 65 participants with inclusion criteria including all adults 18 years or over with dementia, who provided consent (and/or their substitute decision-maker provided consent), who were inpatients or and residents in the organisations on the day of data collection. Data were examined using descriptive analysis, bivariate analysis, and multivariate modelling to identify the prevalence of wounds and explore the wound types and factors associated with the presence of wounds in older adults with dementia. The results of each analysis are reported separately and explored in further depth in the results and discussion chapters. Results Forty-one (66.1%) of participants with dementia had a wound detected on clinical examination. The most common wound types were skin tears (36.9%) and pressure injuries (10.8%). In bivariate analysis, the variables significantly associated with increased prevalence of wounds in adults with dementia included sites (i.e., Residential aged care had a higher prevalence of wounds (63.4 %) compared with Acute hospital and Transitional care (ꭓ2 = 4.055, df=1, p-value=0.044), higher age (t= -2.518, p-value=0.014), and impaired mobility (ꭓ2 =2.637, df=1, p-value= 0.104). Other variables were significantly associated with decreased prevalence of wounds in patients with dementia, i.e., use of risk assessment tools for impaired skin integrity (ꭓ2 = 5.833, df= 1, p-value= 0.016), allied health involvement (ꭓ2 =6.563, df=1, p-value=0.010), and allied health involvement specific for social worker (ꭓ2 =4.704, df= 1, p-value=0.030). In the multivariate model, only allied health involvement and age were entered into the model to avoid multicollinearity. The overall final fitted model was significant (p<0.004), explaining 23% of the variation in wound prevalence among adults with dementia, the R2 value is 0.23 (ꭓ2 =11.2). Conclusion Although the study had a small sample size of 65 residents, the study identified the prevalence of wounds in adults with dementia, types of wounds, and some protective and risk factors associated with wounds in this population.115enPrevalence Pressure injuries Pressure ulcer Skin Safety Model Skin tears Special-care units WoundsAged Care services Acute hospital Transitional care Residential Aged Care Dementia Long-term careThesis