Falls in older Mexican-American women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of falls and identify risk factors for falls among older Mexican-American women.


METHODS
A prospective cohort study with an average follow-up of 2.7 years.


METHODS
A clinical center at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California.


METHODS
152 community-dwelling Mexican-American Caucasian women aged 59 years or older.


METHODS
Falls and injurious falls, as determined by monthly telephone interviews.


RESULTS
The rate of falls was 508 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI), 440-577). Injurious falls requiring medical attention occurred at a rate of 79 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 52-107). Factors that were associated independently with an increased risk of falling were older age, a history of arthritis or rheumatism, a history of high thyroid, having fainted at least once in the year before baseline, current use of psychotropic medications, and walking fewer than 5 blocks a day. Those persons with an average time for the chair stand test had a lower risk of falling than those with the slowest times or the fastest times.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of falls and injurious falls in this cohort of 152 relatively acculturated, healthy, older Mexican-American women was similar or slightly higher than previously reported rates for non-Hispanic Caucasian(s). Many of the factors associated with falls in this study were similar to those reported for non-Hispanic Caucasian women, suggesting that fall prevention measures tested mainly among non-Hispanic Caucasian women would also be appropriate for Mexican-American women.
Schwartz
A V
AV
Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA.
Villa
M L
ML
Prill
M
M
Kelsey
J A
JA
Galinus
J A
JA
Delay
R R
RR
Nevitt
M C
MC
Bloch
D A
DA
Marcus
R
R
Kelsey
J L
JL
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications; D002140:California; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000150:complications; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D013575:Syncope / Q000150:complications; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology; D044465:White People; D016387:Women's Health; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs