title: Hispanic ethnicity and fatal fall risk: do age, gender, and community modify the relationship?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hispanic ethnicity is associated with a reduced risk of fatal falls in the elderly despite lower socioeconomic standing. The factors responsible for this "Hispanic paradox" are unknown. We hypothesized that age and gender would modify this relationship and that the association would be accentuated in a community with prominent Hispanic culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of fatal falls in a 3-year period in the United States (US) and in Miami-Dade County, Florida (MDC) were obtained through the CDC's WISQARS database and the Florida Office of Vital Statistics. US Census Bureau data were used to define the total at-risk populations by age group and gender. Age group- and gender-specific ratios of the risk of fatal fall in Hispanic to white non-Hispanic individuals were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the US and MDC, Hispanic ethnicity was associated with a reduced risk of fatal fall across all age and gender subgroups. In the US, the risk reduction associated with Hispanic ethnicity grew from 11% and 23% in 65- to 74-year-old men and women, respectively, to 43% for both men and women over 84-years-old. This relationship was stronger in MDC than nationally in five of the six age and gender subgroups examined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older individuals, women, and residents of communities with prominent Hispanic culture have the greatest reduction in fatal fall risk associated with Hispanic ethnicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA. dclandy@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Landy
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mintzer
authors.forename: Amanda K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Dearwater
authors.forename: Carl I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Schulman
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States