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Comparative Study
. 2013 Jan;61(1):96-100.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.12071.

Fall-associated difficulty with activities of daily living in functionally independent individuals aged 65 to 69 in the United States: a cohort study

Nishant K Sekaran  1 , Hwajung Choi, Rodney A Hayward, Kenneth M Langa
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Fall-associated difficulty with activities of daily living in functionally independent individuals aged 65 to 69 in the United States: a cohort study

Nishant K Sekaran et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether falling would be a marker for future difficulty with activities of daily (ADLs) that would vary according to fall frequency and associated injury.

Design: Longitudinal analysis.

Setting: Community.

Participants: Nationally representative cohort of 2,020 community-living, functionally independent older adults aged 65 to 69 at baseline followed from 1998 to 2008.

Measurements: ADL difficulty.

Results: Experiencing one fall with injury (odds ratio (OR) = 1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.29-2.48), at least two falls without injury (OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.80-3.09), or at least two falls with at least one injury (OR = 3.75, 95% CI = 2.55-5.53) in the prior 2 years was independently associated with higher rates of ADL difficulty after adjustment for sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical covariates.

Conclusion: Falling is an important marker for future ADL difficulty in younger, functionally independent older adults. Individuals who fall frequently or report injury are at highest risk.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The longitudinal progression of the 1998 Health and Retirement Study cohort (no difficulty with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living and aged 65-69 years at baseline; n = 2,120 respondents)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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