Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Oct 21;15(6):580-589.
doi: 10.1177/1559827619880529. eCollection 2021 Nov-Dec.

Understanding Modifiable and Unmodifiable Older Adult Fall Risk Factors to Create Effective Prevention Strategies

Gwen Bergen  1   2   3 , Mark R Stevens  1   2   3 , Ramakrishna Kakara  1   2   3 , Elizabeth R Burns  1   2   3
Affiliations

Understanding Modifiable and Unmodifiable Older Adult Fall Risk Factors to Create Effective Prevention Strategies

Gwen Bergen et al. Am J Lifestyle Med. .

Abstract

Each year, more than 1 in 4 older adults in the United States report a fall and 1 in 10 a fall injury. Using nationally representative data from the 2016 US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we evaluated demographic, geographic, functional, and health characteristics associated with falls and fall injuries among adults aged 65 years and older. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression to produce crude and adjusted percentages by characteristic. Characteristics most strongly associated with increased fall risk in order of adjusted percentage were depression, difficulty doing errands alone, and difficulty dressing or bathing. Characteristics most strongly associated with fall injury risk in order of adjusted percentage were depression, difficulty dressing or bathing, and being a member of an unmarried couple. The diverse health and functional characteristics associated with increased falls and fall injuries confirm the importance of screening and assessing older adult patients to determine their individual unique risk factors. Health care providers can use tools and resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) initiative to screen their older adult patients for fall risk, assess at-risk patients' modifiable risk factors, and intervene to reduce risk by prescribing evidence-based interventions.

Keywords: fall; health characteristics; injury; interventions; older adult.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Health and Human Services regions of the United States.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bergen G, Stevens MR, Burns ER. Falls and fall injuries among adults aged ≥65 years—United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65:993-998. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6537a2 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Welcome to WISQARS™. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html. Accessed September 18, 2019.
    1. Florence CS, Bergen G, Atherly A, Burns E, Stevens J, Drake C. Medical costs of fatal and nonfatal falls in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018;66:693-698. doi:10.1111/jgs.15304 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Burns E, Kakara R. Deaths from falls among persons aged ≥65 years—United States, 2007-2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67:509-514. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6718a1 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yamashita T, Noe DA, Bailer AJ. Risk factors of falls in community-dwelling older adults: logistic regression tree analysis. Gerontologist. 2012;52:822-832. doi:10.1093/geront/gns043 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources