Alcohol as a risk factor for fall injury events among elderly persons living in the community.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if alcohol use is a risk factor for fall injury events among community-dwelling older persons.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
South Miami Beach, Florida.


METHODS
320 persons 65 or older who sought treatment at six area hospitals for injuries resulting from falls; 609 controls, matched for sex and age, selected randomly from Health Care Financing Administration (Medicare) files.


METHODS
Self-reported current alcohol use.


RESULTS
No association was found between fall injury events and average weekly alcohol use.


CONCLUSIONS
Further efforts at reducing injuries to older persons from falls should concentrate on other modifiable risk factors, including adequate treatment of underlying medical conditions, reducing inappropriate psychotropic medication use, and installing safety devices in the home.
Nelson
D E
DE
Division of Injury Control, National Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control, Atlanta, Georgia.
Sattin
R W
RW
Langlois
J A
JA
DeVito
C A
CA
Stevens
J A
JA
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs