Risk factors for falling among community-dwelling veterans and their caregivers

To assess the prevalence and strength of association of risk factors for falling in Canadian veterans of World War II and Korea and their caregivers.

Questionnaires were sent to addresses of 3,000 Canadian veterans (response rate(1/4)70%). Risk factors for falls and the frequency of falls and injurious falls in the past 12 months were collected.

Veterans had more risk factors than did caregivers, and more had fallen in the past year (39.8% vs. 29.7%). Risk factors in the logistic model for veterans included lower extremity disability (odds ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.5-2.6); lower extremity weakness (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.3-2.3); worse memory than peers (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.1-2.5); one or more visits to the family doctor in the past month (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.2-2.0); and worse memory than 5 years ago (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.0-1.8).

Veterans appear more frail and prone to falling than their caregivers.