title: Longer term health of young and middle-aged adults following unintentional falls at home resulting in hospitalisation.
abstract: Unintentional falls at home are a common cause of admissions to hospital amongst young and middle-aged adults. This population-based study investigated the longer-term health, physical and psychological outcomes following such injuries, and the predictors of these sequelae.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals aged 25-60 years admitted to hospital in the Auckland region between July 2005 and June 2006 following an unintentional fall at home were interviewed soon after the injury (baseline) and 15-months following the injury. Information collected at baseline on pre-injury status was analysed in relation to changes in general health and functioning, psychological outcomes, and role limitations at follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 328 participants eligible for study, 251 (77%) completed the follow-up interview. Reductions in general health and overall functioning (compared with pre-injury status) were reported by 25% and 43% of participants, respectively. In multivariate analyses, predictors of specific adverse outcomes at follow-up included increasing age (reduction in functioning), lower limb injuries (reductions in general health and functioning); female gender (psychological sequelae); injury severity score ≥9 (anxiety and depression); and length of hospital stay (fear of falling and post-traumatic stress symptoms).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant longer-term reductions in health and levels of functioning reveal the importance of strengthening efforts to prevent falls amongst young and middle-aged adults, and identifying groups at increased risk of longer-term disability who could benefit from targeted interventions.
authors.affiliation: Selwyn Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kool
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Shanthi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ameratunga
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors