title: Fall-related injuries among Canadian seniors, 2005-2013: an analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We describe the epidemiology and trends of fall-related injuries among Canadian seniors aged 65 years and older by sex and age, as well as the circumstances and consequences of their injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2005, 2009/2010 and 2013 samples of the Canadian Community Health Survey to calculate the number and rates of fall-related injuries for each survey year. Where possible, we combined data from two or more samples to estimate the proportion of fall-related injuries by type of injury, part of body injured, type of activity and type of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of fall-related injuries among seniors increased from 49.4 to 58.8 per 1000 population between 2005 and 2013, during which the number of fall-related injuries increased by 54% overall. Women had consistently higher rates than men across all survey years, while rates increased with advancing age. The upward trend in fall-related injury rates was more prominent among women and younger age groups. The most common type of injury was broken or fractured bones (37%), and the shoulder or upper arm (16%) was the most commonly injured body part. Many fall-related injuries occurred while walking on a surface other than snow or ice (45%). Over 70% of seniors seeking treatment for their injuries visited a hospital emergency department.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the increase in both the number and rates of fall-related injuries over time, there is a need to continue monitoring trends and injury patterns associated with falls.
authors.affiliation: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Seniors Policy Unit, Division of Children, Seniors, and Healthy Development, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuran
authors.affiliation: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Canada; falls; seniors; unintentional injuries