[Systematic review of fall-related factors among the house-dwelling elderly in Japan].
BACKGROUND
Fall-related factors and individual characteristics of the elderly who have had fall are necessary to develop practical fall prevention programs, and life support management. However, no nation-wide meta-analysis of the fall-related factors of elderly has been performed in Japan.


OBJECTIVE
To conduct a meta-analysis concerning fall-related factors among the house-dwelling elderly in Japan.


METHODS
Japana Centra Revuo Medicina, version 3 (systematic literature search system for Japanese literature), and Pub Med (a service of the National Library of Medicine) from January 1994 to December 2003.


METHODS
Study search terms included the following: retrograde case-control, prospective cohort, and retrospective cohort study with falls. Search terms included older adults (60 years and over), falls and humans. Thirty-two fall-related factors were meta-analyzed.


RESULTS
Among 32 fall-related factors, only nine factors were statistically proven to be related to falls. These factors were female gender, age over 70 years old, fall experience, past history of cerebrovascular disease, grip strength, knee extensor strength, one foot standing time with eyes open, one foot standing time with eyes closed, and skinfold thickness (female). Eleven factors: presence of a spouse, past medical history of hypertension, complaints of dizziness, numbness of the extremities, 10 meter maximum walking velocity, tendency to stumble, use of supportive equipment, standing postural sway. sitting trunk flexion, skinfold thickness (male), and body mass index, were not statistically proven to be related to falls.


CONCLUSIONS
More studies are necessary to determine the efficacy of fall-related factors among the Japanese elderly.
Ueno
Megumi
M
Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Sports Science, School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University.
Kawai
Sachio
S
Mino
Tairai
T
Kamoshita
Hiroshi
H
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D018583:Pliability; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors