TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Fall-related mortality trends in older Japanese adults aged ≥65 years: a nationwide observational study
JO  - BMJ open
A1  - Hagiya, Hideharu
A1  - Koyama, Toshihiro
A1  - Zamami, Yoshito
A1  - Tatebe, Yasuhisa
A1  - Funahashi, Tomoko
A1  - Shinomiya, Kazuaki
A1  - Kitamura, Yoshihisa
A1  - Hinotsu, Shiro
A1  - Sendo, Toshiaki
A1  - Rakugi, Hiromi
A1  - Kano, Mitsunobu R.
SP  - e033462
EP  - e033462
VL  - 9
IS  - 12
N2  - OBJECTIVES: Fall-related mortality among older adults is a major public health issue, especially for ageing societies. This study aimed to investigate current trends in fall-related mortality in Japan using nationwide population-based data covering 1997-2016. <br><br>DESIGN: We analysed fall-related deaths among older persons aged ≥65 years using the data provided by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. <br><br>RESULTS: The crude and age-standardised mortality rates were calculated per 100 000 persons by stratifying by age (65-74, 75-84 and ≥85 years) and sex. To identify trend changes, a joinpoint regression model was applied by estimating change points and annual percentage change (APC). The total number of fall-related deaths in Japan increased from 5872 in 1997 to 8030 in 2016, of which 78.8% involved persons aged ≥65 years. The younger population (65-74 years) showed continuous and faster-decreasing trends for both men and women. Average APC among men aged ≥75 years did not decrease. Among middle-aged and older women (75-84 and ≥85 years) decreasing trends were observed. Furthermore, the age-adjusted mortality rate of men was approximately twice that of women, and it showed a faster decrease for women. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Although Japanese healthcare has shown improvement in preventing fall-related deaths over the last two decades, the crude mortality for those aged over 85 years remains high, indicating difficulty in reducing fall-related deaths in the super-aged population. Further investigations to uncover causal factors for falls in older populations are required.<br><br>© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2044-6055
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033462
ID  - ref1
ER  -