Fall-induced injuries and deaths among older adults.
BACKGROUND
Although various fall-induced injuries and deaths among older adults are increasing, little is known about the epidemiology of these events.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the trends in the number and incidence of fall-induced injuries and deaths of older adults in a well-defined white population.


METHODS
Secular trend analysis of the population of Finland, using the Finnish National Hospital Discharge Register and the Official Cause-of-Death Statistics of Finland.


METHODS
All persons aged 50 years or older who were admitted to hospitals in Finland for primary treatment of a first fall-induced injury from the years of 1970 to 1995, and for comparison, all fall-induced deaths in the same age group from the years 1971 to 1995.


METHODS
The number and the age-specific and age-adjusted incidence rate (per 100000 persons) of fall-induced injuries and deaths in each year of the study.


RESULTS
For the study period, both the total and population-adjusted number (per 100000 persons) of Finns aged 50 years or older with fall-induced injury increased substantially. Total fall-induced injuries increased from 5622 in 1970 to 21 574 in 1995, a 284% increase, and the rate increased from 494 to 1398 per 100000 persons, a 183% increase. The age-adjusted incidence also increased in both women (from 648 in 1970 to 1469 in 1995, a 127% increase) and men (from 434 in 1970 to 972 in 1995, a 124% increase). Moreover, the number of deaths due to falls in the overall population increased from 441 in 1971 to 793 in 1995, an 80% increase, and the rate increased from 38 in 1971 to 51 in 1995, a 34% increase. However, after age adjustment the incidence of fall-induced death did not show a clear upward trend.


CONCLUSIONS
In a well-defined white population, the number of older persons with fall-induced injuries is increasing at a rate that cannot be explained simply by demographic changes. Preventive measures should be adopted to control the increasing burden of these injuries. Fortunately, the age-adjusted incidence of the fall-induced deaths shows no increasing trend over time.
Kannus
P
P
Accident & Trauma Research Center and the Tampere Research Center of Sports Medicine, President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen Institute for Health Promotion Research, Finland. klpeka@uta.fi
Parkkari
J
J
Koskinen
S
S
Niemi
S
S
Palvanen
M
M
Järvinen
M
M
Vuori
I
I
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality