A Community-Based Case-Control Study on the Risk of Fall among the Elderly in Rural Kattankulathur Block, Tamil Nadu

Approaching 100 million in number, India has the second largest population of elderly people after China. India's elderly are growing faster than the general population. By the year 2050, the number of elderly population is expected to increase to 323 million. In the geriatric population, fall is the leading cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions. Falls account for 40% of all injury deaths, and the death rates are the highest among 60 years and above in all the regions of the world.

The objective of this study is to assess the factors associated with the risk of fall among the elderly of 60 years and older in rural Kattankulathur block.

The study is a community-based case-control design among the elders in a rural setting. Those who had fallen in the past 12 months were selected as cases, and an equal number of age- and gender-matched controls were selected. Multiple logistic regression was conducted with biological, behavioral, environmental, and socioeconomic variables.

Of the 747 elderly contacted for the survey, 140 cases and 140 controls each were selected based on self-reported fall in the previous 12 months. The mean age of the participants was 66 with 95% confidence interval (65-67). Individual risk factors for fall were fear of falling (odds ratio [OR] 6.7) and dizziness (OR 4.9).

There is now, more than ever, a need to refocus public health priorities for falls prevention in rapidly aging elders in India. This study provides a much-needed information for further investigation into fall and fall-related injury in developing countries like India.