|
Citation
|
Crenshaw JR, Bernhardt KA, Achenbach SJ, Atkinson EJ, Khosla S, Kaufman KR, Amin S. Arch. Gerontol. Geriatr. 2017; 73: 240-247. |
|
Affiliation
|
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address: amin.shreyasee@mayo.edu. |
|
Abstract
|
OBJECTIVE: We sought to characterize the circumstances, orientations, and impact locations of falls in community-dwelling, ambulatory, older women.
METHODS: For this longitudinal, observational study, 125 community-dwelling women age≥65years were recruited. Over 12-months of follow-up, fall details were recorded using twice-monthly questionnaires.
RESULTS: More than half (59%) of participants fell, with 30% of participants falling more than once (fall rate=1.3 falls per person-year). Slips (22%) and trips (33%) accounted for the majority of falls. Approximately 44% of falls were forward in direction, while backward falls accounted for 41% of falls. About a third of all falls were reported to have lateral (sideways) motion. Subjects reported taking a protective step in response to 82% of forward falls and 37% of backward falls. Of falls reporting lateral motion, a protective step was attempted in 70% of accounts. Common impact locations included the hip/pelvis (47% of falls) and the hand/wrist (27%). Backwards falls were most commonly reported with slips and when changing direction, and increased the risk of hip/pelvis impact (OR=12.6; 95% CI: 4.7-33.8). Forward falls were most commonly reported with trips and while hurrying, and increased the risk of impact to the hand/wrist (OR=2.6; 95% CI: 1.2-5.9).
CONCLUSION: Falls in older ambulatory women occur more frequently than previously reported, with the fall circumstance and direction dictating impact to common fracture locations. Stepping was a common protective recovery strategy and that may serve as an appropriate focus of interventions to reduce falls in this high risk population.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Language: en |