['To describe the circumstances of falls resulting in hip fractures among older people and to determine whether the circumstances differ by gender, age, and residential status.', 'Cross-sectional study.', 'Two hospitals in Auckland, New Zealand, in which all individuals aged 60 years or older with a fracture of the proximal femur are hospitalized.', 'A total of 911 individuals (97% response rate) were hospitalized with fractures of the proximal femur; 77% were women, 66% were aged 80 years or older, and 58% were living in private homes at the time of fracture.', 'Data were collected face-to-face by a trained interviewer using a standardized questionnaire.', 'Ninety-six percent of the fractures were associated with a fall, with fewer that 2% of subjects reporting that their fractures occurred spontaneously before a fall. Sixteen percent of fractures were associated with an acute medical or physical condition. Although 85% of the fractures involving a fall occurred at home, only about 25% of these were associated with an environmental hazard, and only a proportion of these were likely to have been amenable to modification. The circumstances of falls differed significantly by age and residential status.'] Does circumstances of fall resulting in hip fractures among older people?