Incidence and circumstances of falls among middle-aged women: a cohort study
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Incidence and circumstances of falls among middle-aged women: a cohort study M. Wang 1 & F. Wu 1
&
M. L. Callisaya 1,2 & G. Jones 1 & T. Winzenberg 1
Received: 11 March 2020 / Accepted: 1 September 2020 # International Osteoporosis Foundation and National Osteoporosis Foundation 2020
Abstract Summary This was the first study assessing falls prospectively in middle-aged women. The 1-year incidence was 42% for any fall, which suggest falls are a major issue in middle-aged women. Middle-aged women, particularly those sustaining a fall, could be a target group for fall-prevention strategies. Purpose Incidence and circumstances of falls in middle-aged people are poorly understood. This cohort study aimed to elucidate the incidence and circumstances of falls over 1 year in middle-aged women. Methods Falls were recorded monthly for 1 year by questionnaire in 2017–2019 in a population-based sample of women aged 41–62 years. The incidence of falls and injurious falls and related circumstances were descriptively analysed. Results Of 273 women, 115 sustained 209 falls. The 1-year incidence was 42% for any fall, 17% for multiple (two or more) falls, and 24% for injurious falls. The incidence was greater in older age groups for any fall (33, 45, and 44% for people aged < 50, 50– 55, and > 55 years, respectively), multiple falls (7, 14, and 22%) and injurious falls (15, 20, and 28%), although only the incidence of multiple falls was significantly increased across the three age groups (P = 0.01). Most falls occurred outdoors (71%) and were attributed to tripping and slipping (60%) Conclusions Falls are a major issue in middle-aged women, a group that has been largely ignored in the prevention of falls. Middle-aged women, in particular those sustaining a fall, could be a target group for fall-prevention strategies. Future studies are needed to identify risk factors for falling in this population so as inform the development of strategies for preventing falls in middle-aged women. Keywords Descriptive analysis . Injury . Location . Cause . Longitudinal study
Introduction Falls are a major public health issue among older people, being the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related mortality worldwide [1]. Around 30 to 40% of community-dwelling persons over the age of 65 fall each year [2, 3], and women have Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-020-05617-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * F. Wu [email protected] 1
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
2
Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
a higher risk than men [4]. Retrospective data suggest that falls may occur at a similar rate in middle-aged and older people [5], but this has not been confirmed with prospective data, and the incidence and circumstances of falls in this age group is poorly studied. Nonetheless, the d
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