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 .
Predictors for occasional and recurrent falls in community-dwelling older people
BACKGROUND Little is known about the prevalence of falls and the related risk factors in the general population of community-living older people in Germany . OBJECTIVES To assess the prevalence and related predictors of different types of falls  in a sample of community-dwelling 65 years and older people in Germany living in a metropolitan area . Study design and setting prospect i ve cohort study in 622 community dwelling people aged > or = 65 years . RESULTS A total of 107 persons ( 17.2 % ) reported falling at least once ( occasional fallers ) , while 36 ( 5.7 % ) experienced two or more falls ( recurrent fallers ) in the last 6 months . Main predictors for all fallers were age ( OR 1.8 ; 95 % CI 1.1 - 3.0 ) , being female ( OR 1.7 ; 95 % CI 1.1 - 2.2 ) , living alone ( OR 1.9 ; 95 % CI 1.2 - 2.9 ) , poor health status ( OR 3.3 ; 95 % CI 2.1 - 5.3 ) , varifocals ( OR 1.7 ; 95 % CI 1.0 - 3.1 ) , disturbance of memory ( OR 1.7 ; 95 % CI 1.0 - 3.0 ) , depression ( OR 4.8 ; 95 % CI 2.5 - 9.2 ) , sleep disturbances ( OR 2.7 ; 95 % CI 1.7 - 4.3 ) , incontinence ( OR 2.1 ; 95 % CI 1.3 - 4.9 ) , dizziness ( OR 3.0 ; 95 % CI 1.9 - 5.0 ) , 3 medical conditions or more ( OR 3.3 ; 95 % CI 2.1 - 5.1 ) , lower physical functioning and mobility . Two of the strongest predictors were reported falls ( OR 4.9 ; 95 % CI 3.1 - 7.7 ) and recurrent falls ( OR 10.0 ; 95 % CI 5.0 - 20.0 ) in the last 6 months . CONCLUSION Older adults living at home should be screened for falls in history and problems in gait and mobility in any anamnesis to identify those who are at risk for falls
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 .