ORs were generally higher for recurrent fallers than for all fallers .
This meta- analysis provides comprehensive evidence -based assessment of risk factors for falls in older people , confirming their multifactorial etiology .
Some nonspecific indicators of high baseline risk were also strong predictors of the risk of falling
BACKGROUND Falls are the main cause of accidental death in persons aged 65 years or older .
Prospective association between physical activity and falls in community-dwelling older women
Objective : To explore associations between physical activity and the risk of falls and fractured bones in community-dwelling older women . Design , setting and participants : A prospect i ve observational survey with three and six-year follow-ups . The sample included 8188 healthy , community-dwelling women , aged 70–75 years in 1996 , who completed surveys as participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women ’s Health . Women who reported a recent serious injury from falling were excluded . Outcomes were reports of a fall to the ground , injury from a fall , and a fractured bone in 1999 and 2002 . The main predictor variable was physical activity level in 1996 , categorised on the basis of weekly frequency as none/very low , low , moderate , high and very high . Covariates were demographic and health-related variables . Logistic regression models were computed separately for each outcome in 1999 and 2002 . Main results : In multivariable models , very high physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of reporting a fall in 1999 ( odds ratio ( OR ) 0.67 ; 95 % CI 0.47 to 0.95 ) and in 2002 ( OR 0.64 ; 95 % CI 0.43 to 0.96 ) . High/very high physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of a fractured bone in 2002 ( OR 0.53 ; 95 % CI 0.34 to 0.83 ) . No significant association was found between physical activity and injury from a fall . Conclusions : The results suggest that at least daily moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity is required for the primary prevention of falls to the ground and fractured bones in women aged 70–75 years
ORs were generally higher for recurrent fallers than for all fallers .
This meta- analysis provides comprehensive evidence -based assessment of risk factors for falls in older people , confirming their multifactorial etiology .
Some nonspecific indicators of high baseline risk were also strong predictors of the risk of falling
BACKGROUND Falls are the main cause of accidental death in persons aged 65 years or older .