title: Racial/Ethnic predictors of falls among older adults: the health and retirement study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine racial/ethnic differences in the probability and frequency of falls among adults aged 65 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from 2000 to 2010, the authors conducted random-intercept logistic and Poisson regression analyses to examine whether race/ethnicity predicted the likelihood of a fall event and the frequency of falls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analytic sample included 10,484 older adults. Baseline analyses showed no significant racial/ethnic differences in the probability or number of falls. However, in the longitudinal random-intercept models, African Americans had significantly lower odds (0.65) of experiencing at least one fall compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Among fallers, African Americans had significantly fewer falls (24%) than non-Hispanic Whites, controlling for health and sociodemographic covariates (all ps < .05). Latinos did not differ from non-Hispanic Whites in the likelihood or number of falls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  African Americans are less likely to experience initial or recurrent falls than non-Hispanic Whites.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA enicklet@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Emily J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Nicklett
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
authors.forename: Robert Joseph
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: ethnicity; fall rates; fall risk; falls; older adults