title: [Epidemiology of accidents in a cohort of adults over 64 years old in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accidents represent a significant health problem for elderly people. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of accidents in over-64-year-olds in the Basque Country population, and to describe the clinical-epidemiological features leading to them.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cohort study of 15,192 non-institutionalised individuals over 64 years of age, conducted under the auspices of the Basque Sentinel Practice Network (Red Vigía) over one year. A questionnaire was completed for each accident. The rates and risks of accidents were calculated by sex and age group of the individuals who had the accidents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rates of accidents were 46.52 and 81.87 per 1000 men and women, respectively. The most common type of accident was a fall (92%), and the most severe injuries were fractures (17%), with the risk of an accident being significantly higher in women and in the over-75-year-olds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data reflect the scale of accidents in over-64-year-olds in the Basque Country. The most frequent accident was the fall, which represents a dramatic event among the elderly, being one of the main causes of injury, disability and institutionalisation among this population group.
authors.affiliation: Unidades de Epidemiología de las Subdirecciones de Salud Pública y Adicciones, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, San Sebastián, España.
authors.forename: Visitación
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.affiliation: Unidades de Epidemiología de las Subdirecciones de Salud Pública y Adicciones, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, San Sebastián, España.
authors.forename: Olatz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mokoroa
authors.affiliation: Unidades de Epidemiología de las Subdirecciones de Salud Pública y Adicciones, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, San Sebastián, España; Instituto de Investigación Biodonostia, San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España. Electronic address: epidem2-san@ej-gv.es.
authors.forename: Juncal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Artieda
authors.affiliation: Unidades de Epidemiología de las Subdirecciones de Salud Pública y Adicciones, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, San Sebastián, España.
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muniozguren
authors.affiliation: Unidades de Epidemiología de las Subdirecciones de Salud Pública y Adicciones, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, San Sebastián, España.
authors.forename: Larraitz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Etxebarriarteun
authors.affiliation: Unidades de Epidemiología de las Subdirecciones de Salud Pública y Adicciones, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, San Sebastián, España.
authors.forename: Lorea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Epidemiología e Información Sanitaria, Dirección de Salud Pública y Adicciones de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco, Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco.
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Garcia Calabuig
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Accident; Accidentes; Adultos mayores; Caídas; Falls; Incidence; Incidencia; Older people