A population-based analysis of serious falls' indicators and prevention efforts

Background: Falls in the geriatric population are a major public health issue. With the anticipated aging of the population, the number of falls is expected to increase. Therefore, we assessed risk factors for falls and whether professional recommendations made to prevent falls differed among elderly who had experienced a serious vs. non-serious fall.

Method: We included adults aged 65 and older from the 2011-2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), and categorized them into two groups based on whether they had a serious fall or not in the prior 12 months.  A fall was considered serious if a participant had received medical care because of the fall. We performed logistic regression adjusted for the complex survey design to determine risk factors for falls and compare the odds of receiving professional recommendations among elderly with vs. without serious falls. 

Results: An estimated 12% of Californian elderly had at least one fall and 39% of them received medical treatment. Falls were associated with older age, less walking, and poorer physical or mental health. Asians had lowers odds of reporting a serious fall compared to non-Asians. Participants who had experienced a serious fall had higher odds of having received fall prevention recommendations from healthcare professionals compared to those with non-serious falls.

Conclusion: Patients with a history of falls did not consistently receive professional recommendations. Given the high likelihood of a fall being serious, future interventions may focus on involving primary care physicians in active preventive efforts before a fall occurs.