Risk factors for skin tears in the older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors

Aixuan Guan, Yuxin Huang, Yating Guo, Huimin Huang, Jing Lv, Chaoqun Yang, Shi Wei, Bihong Chen

Published in

Frontiers in public health. Volume 14. Pages 1880249. Epub Aug 03, 2026.

Abstract

A skin tear is a traumatic wound caused by mechanical forces, including removal of adhesives and patient handling, the depth of which may vary (not extending through the subcutaneous layer). With the global trend of an aging population, it has become a problem that requires great attention in clinical care. Previous studies have investigated the risk factors for ST in older adults (e.g., age, history of ST, malnutrition, etc.). However, the results of the studies varied widely, and the correlation coefficients of the results of different studies were also very different. To identify risk factors for the occurrence of ST in the old adults.
We searched the following Chinese and English databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, CINAHLA, Scopus, China Biomedical Database, Wanfang Database, and CNKI, VIP Database) to identify the risk factors for the occurrence of ST in the older adults related literature. The meta-analysis was conducted using Rev. Man 5.4.
A total of 10 articles (n = 6,206) were included in this analysis. The following risk factors were found to be significantly associated with ST in older adults: male sex (OR = 2.44, 95% CI [1.58, 3.78], p < 0.0001), having an Increased pressure ulcer risk (OR = 2.96, 95% CI [1.30, 6.74], p = 0.01), history of skin tears (OR = 9.34, 95% CI [1.52, 57.40], p = 0.02), and purpura (OR = 3.31, 95% CI [2.16, 5.07], p < 0.001).
Many risk factors are associated with ST in the older adults. Nursing staff should emphasize the assessment of ST and improve prevention and care for those at risk.
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023479139.

PMID:
42609460
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Aug 2026.

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