title: Preventing slips and falls through leisure-time physical activity: findings from a study of limited-service restaurants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Physical activity has been shown to be beneficial at improving health in some medical conditions and in preventing injury. Epidemiologic studies suggest that physical activity is one factor associated with a decreased risk for slips and falls in the older (≥ 65 years) adult population. While the risk of slips and falls is generally lower in younger than in older adults; little is known of the relative contribution of physical activity in preventing slips and falls in younger adults. We examined whether engagement in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was protective of slips and falls among a younger/middle-aged (≤ 50 years old) working population.
  
  
  METHODS
  475 workers from 36 limited-service restaurants in six states in the U.S. were recruited to participate in a prospective cohort study of workplace slipping. Information on LTPA was collected at the time of enrollment. Participants reported their slip experience and work hours weekly for up to 12 weeks. We investigated the association between the rate of slipping and the rate of major slipping (i.e., slips that resulted in a fall and/or injury) and LTPA for workers 50 years of age and younger (n = 433, range 18-50 years old) using a multivariable negative binomial generalized estimating equation model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of major slips among workers who engaged in moderate (Adjusted Rate Ratio (RR)  = 0.65; 95% Confidence Interval (CI)  =  [0.18-2.44]) and vigorous (RR = 0.64; 95%CI  =  [0.18-2.26]) LTPA, while non-significant, were approximately one-third lower than the rate of major slips among less active workers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While not statistically significant, the results suggest a potential association between engagement in moderate and vigorous LTPA and the rate of major slips in younger adults. Additional studies that examine the role of occupational and non-occupational physical activity on the risk of slips, trips and falls among younger and middle aged adults appear warranted.
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States of America; Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Orthopaedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Alberto J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Caban-Martinez
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States of America; Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Theodore K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Courtney
authors.affiliation: Center for Physical Ergonomics, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Wen-Ruey
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States of America; Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.affiliation: Center for Behavioral Sciences, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yueng-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Melanye J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., United States of America.
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Orthopaedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States of America; Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Santosh K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D012147:Restaurants; D055815:Young Adult