TY - JOUR
T1 - Consequences of falling in older men and women and risk factors for health service use and functional decline
AU - Stel, Vianda S.
AU - Smit, Johannes H.
AU - Pluijm, Saskia M.F.
AU - Lips, Paul
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Jan Poppelaars, Mariëtte Westendorp and the research nurses Betty Cox, Ida Gelderman, Eva Stokx and Marjanne Kostman for their help in collecting and processing the data. The study is based on data collected in the context of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), which is funded by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports of The Netherlands. The study on the consequences of falls was supported by ZonMw, The Hague.
PY - 2004/1
Y1 - 2004/1
N2 - Objectives: (1) to examine consequences of falls in older men and women and (2) to examine risk factors for health service use and functional decline among older fallers. Methods: The study was performed within the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. In 1998/1999, potential risk factors were assessed during the third data collection. In 1999/2000, 204 community-dwelling persons (≥65 years) who reported at least one fall in the year before the interview, were asked about consequences of their last fall, including physical injury, health service use, treatment and functional decline (i.e. decline in functional status, social and physical activities). Results: As a consequence of falling, respondents reported physical injury (68.1%), major injury (5.9%), health service use (23.5%), treatment (17.2%), and decline in functional status (35.3%), and social (16.7%) and physical activities (15.2%). Using multivariate logistic regression, specific risk factors for health service use after falling could not be identified. Female gender (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.5-5.1), higher medication use (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0-2.2) and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3-2.8) were independently associated with functional decline after falling. Depressive symptoms (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.3) and falls inside (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1-6.5) were risk factors for decline in social activities, while female gender (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1-7.0) and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2-3.0) were risk factors for decline in physical activities after falling. Conclusions: Almost 70% of the respondents suffered physical injury, almost one-quarter used health services and more than one-third suffered functional decline after falling. No risk factors were found for health service use needed after falling. Female gender, higher medication use, depressive symptoms and falls inside were risk factors for functional decline after falling.
AB - Objectives: (1) to examine consequences of falls in older men and women and (2) to examine risk factors for health service use and functional decline among older fallers. Methods: The study was performed within the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. In 1998/1999, potential risk factors were assessed during the third data collection. In 1999/2000, 204 community-dwelling persons (≥65 years) who reported at least one fall in the year before the interview, were asked about consequences of their last fall, including physical injury, health service use, treatment and functional decline (i.e. decline in functional status, social and physical activities). Results: As a consequence of falling, respondents reported physical injury (68.1%), major injury (5.9%), health service use (23.5%), treatment (17.2%), and decline in functional status (35.3%), and social (16.7%) and physical activities (15.2%). Using multivariate logistic regression, specific risk factors for health service use after falling could not be identified. Female gender (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.5-5.1), higher medication use (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0-2.2) and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3-2.8) were independently associated with functional decline after falling. Depressive symptoms (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.3) and falls inside (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1-6.5) were risk factors for decline in social activities, while female gender (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1-7.0) and depressive symptoms (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2-3.0) were risk factors for decline in physical activities after falling. Conclusions: Almost 70% of the respondents suffered physical injury, almost one-quarter used health services and more than one-third suffered functional decline after falling. No risk factors were found for health service use needed after falling. Female gender, higher medication use, depressive symptoms and falls inside were risk factors for functional decline after falling.
KW - Accidental falls
KW - Aged
KW - Consequences
KW - Disabled people
KW - Elderly
KW - Health services
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1642555544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/ageing/afh028
DO - 10.1093/ageing/afh028
M3 - Article
C2 - 14695865
AN - SCOPUS:1642555544
SN - 0002-0729
VL - 33
SP - 58
EP - 65
JO - Age and Ageing
JF - Age and Ageing
IS - 1
ER -