Diversity in fall characteristics hampers effective prevention: the precipitants, the environment, the fall and the injury
Journal article
Sanders, Kerrie, Lim, Karen, Stuart, Amanda L., Macleod, Ashley, Scott, David, Nicholson, Geoff and Busija, Lucy. (2017). Diversity in fall characteristics hampers effective prevention: the precipitants, the environment, the fall and the injury. Osteoporosis International. 28(10), pp. 3005 - 3015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-017-4145-6
Authors | Sanders, Kerrie, Lim, Karen, Stuart, Amanda L., Macleod, Ashley, Scott, David, Nicholson, Geoff and Busija, Lucy |
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Abstract | Summary Falls among the elderly are common and characteristics may differ between injurious and non-injurious falls. Among 887 older Australian women followed for 1.6 years, 32% fell annually. Only 8.5% resulted in fracture and/or hospital admission. The characteristics of those falls are indistinguishable from those not coming to medical attention. Introduction The precipitants and environment of all falls occurring among a large cohort of older Caucasian women were categorised by injury status to determine if the characteristics differed between injurious and non-injurious falls. Methods Among 887 Australian women (70+ years), falls were ascertained using monthly postcard calendars and a questionnaire was administered for each fall. Hospital admissions and fractures were independently confirmed. Results All falls were reported for a mean observation time of 577 (IQR 546–607) days per participant, equating to a total 1400 person-years. Thirty-two percent fell at least once per year. The most common features of a fall were that the faller was walking (61%) at home (61%) during the day (88%) and lost balance (32%). Only 12% of all falls occurred at night. Despite no difference in the type of injury between day and night, the likelihood of being hospitalised from a fall at night was 4.5 times greater than that of a daytime fall with adjustment for injury type and participant age (OR 4.5, 95% CI 2.1, 9.5; p < 0.001). Of all falls, approximately one third were associated with no injury to the faller (31%), one third reported a single injury (37%) and one third reported more than one injury (32%). In 95% of falls, the faller was not admitted to hospital. Only 5% of falls resulted in fracture(s). Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the significant diversity of precipitants and environment where falls commonly occur among older community-dwelling women. Falls resulting in fracture and/or hospital admission collectively represent 8.5% of all falls and their characteristics are indistinguishable from falls not coming to medical attention and incurring no apparent cost to the health system. |
Year | 2017 |
Journal | Osteoporosis International |
Journal citation | 28 (10), pp. 3005 - 3015 |
Publisher | Springer UK |
ISSN | 0937-941X |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-017-4145-6 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85025068693 |
Open access | Open access |
Page range | 3005 - 3015 |
Research Group | Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research |
Publisher's version | License |
Place of publication | United Kingdom |
Editors | J. A. Kanis and F. Cosman |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8q8x4/diversity-in-fall-characteristics-hampers-effective-prevention-the-precipitants-the-environment-the-fall-and-the-injury
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OA_Sanders_2017_Diversity_in_fall_characteristics_hampers_effective.pdf | |
License: CC BY-NC 4.0 |
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