@article{ref1,
title="Changes in fall rates from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the prospective AMBROSIA study",
journal="Journals of gerontology. Series A: Biological sciences and medical sciences",
year="2022",
author="Bowling, C. Barrett and Wei, Rong X. and Qian, Lei and Shimbo, Daichi and Schwartz, Joseph E. and Muntner, Paul and Cannavale, Kimberly L. and Harrison, Teresa N. and Reynolds, Kristi",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: COVID-19 social distancing policies resulted in reductions in community movement, however fall rates during this time have not been described. <br><br>METHODS: This prospective study included adults ≥65 years old participating in the Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Older Adults (AMBROSIA) cohort and who completed ≥1 monthly falls calendar (August 2019-March 2021; n=250). Months were grouped to correspond to the fall 2020 phased re-opening (August-October) and the shelter-in-place policy during the winter 2020 surge (November-January) in Los Angeles, California and compared to the same months, one year earlier (i.e., before the pandemic). <br><br>RESULTS: Participants had a mean (SD) age of 75.2 (6.1) years, 49.6% were White, and 53.2% were women. We obtained 2,795 falls calendars during follow-up. Overall, 110 (44.0%) participants reported a total of 421 falls (rate 15.1 per 100 calendar months). The highest monthly fall rate during the pandemic was 22.9 (95% CI 16.4-31.1) per 100 calendar-months in August 2020. The lowest fall rate during the pandemic was 8.6 (95% CI 3.5-17.8) per 100 calendar-months in February 2021. During the pandemic, fall rates in August, September, and October 2020 were higher than the previous year (rate ratio 1.8 [95% CI 1.1-2.9]) and fall rates in November and December 2020 and January 2021 were lower than the previous year (rate ratio 0.5 [95% CI 0.4-0.8]). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: As the pandemic continues and older adults resume community mobility after a shelter-in-place period, providers should pay attention to the risk of falls.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1079-5006",
doi="10.1093/gerona/glac131",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glac131"
}