Circumstances and consequences of falls in community-dwelling older women.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the circumstances and consequences of falls reported by community-dwelling older women.


METHODS
This prospective study collected data for approximately 2 years for women aged>or=70 years at risk for falling who were enrolled in the Fall Evaluation and Prevention Program.


RESULTS
Participants (263) completed a median of 24 months of follow-up. A total of 143 participants reported 341 falls; 70 reported 1 fall, and 73 reported 2 or more. A majority of falls (62%) occurred in/around the home, primarily during the daytime, and in living rooms or kitchens/dining rooms. Falls frequently occurred while walking, carrying objects, or reaching/leaning. Many falls did not result in injury (53%); however, 31% resulted in minor injuries, 10% in moderate injuries, and 6% in major injuries. Soft tissue injuries were common, and 5% of falls resulted in fractures. Nine falls resulted in hospitalization.


CONCLUSIONS
The high rate of injurious falls seen here and the detailed information on activity at the time of the fall emphasize the need to increase awareness of behaviors and the environment to reduce fall risk. Previous studies have identified risk factors for falls, some of which cannot be modified, such as age or gender. In contrast, this study describes the activity at the time of the fall: many falls occur in the home environment, some with modifiable circumstances.
School of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. nachr001@umn.edu
Nancy M
NM
Nachreiner
Mary J
MJ
Findorff
Jean F
JF
Wyman
Teresa C
TC
McCarthy
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health