title: Inferior physical performance tests in 10,998 men in the MrOS study is associated with recurrent falls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  recurrent fallers are at especially high risk for injuries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to study whether tests of physical performance are associated with recurrent falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  a total of 10,998 men aged 65 years or above.
  
  
  METHODS
  questionnaires evaluated falls sustained 12 months preceding testing of grip strength, timed stand, 6-m walk and 20-cm narrow walk test. Means with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) are reported. P < 0.01 is a statistically significant difference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in comparison to both occasional fallers and non-fallers, recurrent fallers performed more poorly on all the physical ability tests (all P < 0.001). A score below -2 standard deviations (SDs) in the right-hand grip strength test was associated with an odds ratio of 2.4 (95% CI 1.7, 3.4) for having had recurrent falls compared with having had no fall and of 2.0 (95% CI 1.3, 3.4) for having had recurrent falls compared with having had an occasional fall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  low performance in physical ability tests are in elderly men associated with recurrent falls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Orthopaedics, Skane University Hospital, Lund University, SE-205 20 Malmo, Sweden. magnus.karlsson@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Magnus K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ribom
authors.forename: Jan-Åke
authors.initials: JÅ
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Östen
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Ljunggren
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mellström
authors.forename: Mattiaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorentzon
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mallmin
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stefanick
authors.forename: Jodi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lapidus
authors.forename: Ping Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrett-Connor
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orwoll
authors.forename: Björn E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Rosengren
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden; D014481:United States