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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print May 30, 2006
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96/7/1192    most recent
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July 2006, Vol 96, No. 7 | American Journal of Public Health 1192-1200
© 2006 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.083055

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Outdoor Falls Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Neglected Public Health Problem

Wenjun Li, PhD, Theresa H.M. Keegan, PhD, Barbara Sternfeld, PhD, Stephen Sidney, MD, MPH, Charles P. Quesenberry, Jr, PhD and Jennifer L. Kelsey, PhD

Wenjun Li and Jennifer L. Kelsey are with the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Theresa H. M. Keegan is with the Northern California Cancer Center, Fremont, Calif. Kelsey and Keegan are also with the Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif. Barbara Sternfeld, Stephen Sidney, and Charles P. Quesenberry, Jr, are with the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, Calif.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Wenjun Li, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shaw Building, SH–230, 55 Lake Ave N, Worcester, MA 01655 (e-mail: wenjun.li{at}umassmed.edu).

Objectives. Although risk factors for indoor falls among older individuals have been well studied, little is known about the etiology of outdoor falls. We examined risk factors for outdoor falls among middle-aged and older adults.

Methods. We analyzed data on the most recent fall during the past year among participants aged 45 years and older in the control group (N=2193) of a case–control study of fractures. The study was conducted at 5 Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers between 1996 and 2001.

Results. Falls occurred outdoors more often than indoors among most age groups. Study participants who reported more leisure-time physical activity had a higher risk for outdoor falls, and participants who were in poorer health had a greater risk for indoor falls. Most outdoor falls (73%) were precipitated by environmental factors, such as uneven surfaces and tripping or slipping on objects, and usually occurred on sidewalks, curbs, and streets. Walking (47.3%) was the most common fall-related activity.

Conclusions. Outdoor falls among adults aged 45 years and older were frequently attributable to modifiable environmental factors. With the widespread promotion of active lifestyles among older people, improvements in their outdoor environment are urgently needed.




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Response to Outdoor Falls among Older adults
Satya B. Verma
AJPH Online, 13 Aug 2006 [Full text]

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