Factors Associated with Falls and Injurious Falls in Community-Dwelling Adults Aged 18--64 Years Old

• Activity Number: 186
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 4, 2014 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Biometrics Section
• Author(s): Feifei Wei*+ and Amy L. Hester and Amy M. Schrader
• Companies: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and University of Arkansas
• Keywords: Adults ; head injuries ; falls ; fractures ; risk factors

Abstract

This study provides the first insight on the independent risk factors for injurious falls among community-dwelling adults aged 18-64 years old. In 2010, 4.1 million adults aged 18-64 years old were treated in emergency departments due to falls. This study utilized data collected from the 2008 NHIS Survey, which was the most recent NHIS survey that collected data on fall and injurious fall. Of the 16,552 respondents, 1,848 (11.2%) had a fall during the previous 12 months. Among these falls, 715 (38.7%) resulted in an injury. Adults with balance problems were twice as likely to fall and sustain injury. Impaired vision, mobility problems, and alcohol consumptions were contributing risk factors to falls and injurious falls. Adults who were female, had a history of head injury, epilepsy, depression, or spinal injury, or took motion sickness or anxiety medications, had higher odds of sustaining falls and injurious falls. Having ever used a hearing aid, hormone replacement therapy, or Antivert medication were risk factors for injurious falls, but not for falls. Further research is needed to build and validate a risk assessment tool for injurious falls among community-dwelling adults.