Citation

Sakurai R, Kawai H, Suzuki H, Ogawa S, Kim H, Watanabe Y, Hirano H, Ihara K, Obuchi S, Fujiwara Y. J. Epidemiol. 2018; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Japan Epidemiological Association)

DOI

10.2188/jea.JE20180162

PMID

30531123

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Considering the rate of growth of the older population in several countries, accidental falls in older cyclists are expected to increase. However, the prevalence and correlates of bicycle-related falls (BR-falls) are unknown. The aim of the present study was to explore the characteristics of BR-falls, focusing on the risk factors.

METHODS: Seven-hundred and ninety-one older adults participated in a comprehensive baseline assessment including questions on bicycle use, BR-falls, lifestyle, and physical and cognitive evaluations. A cyclist was defined as a person who cycled at least a few times per month. The incidence of BR-falls in participants who did not report BR-falls at baseline was again ascertained three years later. Logistic regression analyses examined the predictors of BR-falls incidence.

RESULTS: At baseline, 395 older adults were cyclist and 45 (11.4%) of them had experienced BR-falls. Adjusted regression analysis showed that slower gait velocity, shorter one-leg standing time, and experience of falls (i.e., non-BR-falls) were associated with BR-falls. Among the 214 cyclists who did not report BR-falls at baseline and who participated in both baseline and follow-up assessments, 35 (16.4%) cyclists experienced BR-falls during the 3-year follow-up. Adjusted regression analysis revealed that higher body mass index and non-BR-falls were predictors of future incident of BR-falls, independent of physical function.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that experience of falls, irrespective of bicycling, is an independent correlate and risk factor of BR-falls. This suggests that experience of falls and BR-falls may share the same risk factors.

Language: en

Keywords

bicycling; cyclist; falls; older adults