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Fall-Related Injuries in a Cohort of Community-Dwelling Older Adults Attending Peer-Led Fall Prevention Exercise
Birgit Wurzer1,2, Debra Lynn Waters1,3,2, Leigh Anne Hale2
1Dunedin School of Medicine, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Background And Purpose:
To investigate reported injuries and circumstances and to estimate the costs related to falls experienced by older adults participating in Steady As You Go (SAYGO) peer-led fall prevention exercise classes.
Methods:
A 12-month prospective cohort study of 207 participants attending community-based SAYGO classes in Dunedin, New Zealand. Types and costs of medical treatment for injuries and circumstances of falls were obtained via standardized fall event questionnaires and phone-administered questionnaires.
Results:
Eighty-four percent completed the study (160 females, 14 males, mean age = 77.5 [standard deviation = 6.5] years). More than a third of the total falls (55/148 total falls, 37%) did not result in any injuries. Most injuries (45%, n = 67) were sprains, grazes, and bruises. Medical attention was sought 26 times (18%), out of which 6 participants (4%) reported fractures (none femoral). The majority of falls occurred while walking. More falls and injuries occurred outdoors (n = 55). The number of times medical treatment was sought correlated with the number of falls in the previous year (r = 0.50, P = .02). The total number of years attending SAYGO was a significant predictor of lower total number of injuries (stepwise regression β = -0.157, t = -1.99, P = .048). The total cost of medical treatment across all reported injurious falls was estimated at NZ$6946 (US$5415).
Discussion:
Older adults participating in SAYGO appear to sustain less severe injuries following a fall than previously reported. More falls and injuries occurred outdoors, suggesting better overall health of these participants. The role of long-term participation in fall prevention exercise classes on injurious falls warrants further investigation.
