title: Prevalence of falls and associated factors in elderly individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of falls in elderly individuals and to analyze associated factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study with 420 elderly subjects (aged 60 years or older) living in the city of Juiz de Fora (Southeastern Brazil) in 2010. A household survey was conducted and the occurrence of falls in the 12 previous months was described. For the analysis of factors associated with the outcome, a theoretical determination model with three hierarchical blocks was built. The variables were adjusted among each other within each block; those with level of significance < 0.20 were included in the Poisson regression model and adjusted to the immediately higher level, with 5% significance level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of falls among the elderly was 32.1% (95%CI: 27.7; 36.9). Among those who experienced falls, 53% had a single fall and 19% had fractures as a consequence. Most of the falls (59%) occurred at the elderly person's home. The occurrence of falls was associated with old age, female sex, need of help for locomotion and self-reported diagnosis of osteoporosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Falls are frequent among the elderly. Knowledge of the factors associated with the occurrence of this event can aid the development of prevention strategies and adequate health services.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Assessoria, Treinamentos e Estudos em Saúde, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil. danitcruz@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Danielle Teles da
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Luiz Cláudio
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Marcel de Toledo
authors.initials: Mde T
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Bustamante
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Ronaldo Rocha
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.forename: Isabel Cristina Gonçalves
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Leite
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors