Does living alone influence fall risk among Swiss older adults aged 60+? A pooled observational analysis of three...

Falling and living alone have been identified as public health challenges in an ageing society. Our study investigates whether living alone influences fall risk in community-dwelling older adults in Switzerland.

Secondary analysis of three randomised controlled trials investigating how different doses of vitamin D and an exercise programme may influence the risk of further falls in people 60+ at risk of falling. We used logistic regression to examine the association between living alone and the odds of becoming a faller, and negative binomial regression to examine the association between living alone and the rate of falls. We assessed both any falls and falls with injury. All analyses were adjusted for sex, body mass index, age, grip strength, comorbidities, use of walking aids, mental health, trial and treatment group. Predefined subgroups were by sex and age.

Among 494 participants (63% women; mean age was 74.7±7.5 years) 643 falls were recorded over 936.5 person-years, including 402 injurious falls. Living alone was associated with a 1.76-fold higher odds of becoming a faller (OR (95% CI)=1.76 (1.11 to 2.79)). While the odds did not differ by sex, older age above the median age of 74.6 years increased the odds to 2.19-fold (OR (95% CI)=2.19 (1.11 to 4.32)). The rate of total or injurious falls did not differ by living status.

Community-dwelling older adults living alone have a higher odds of becoming a faller. The increased odds is similar for men and women but accentuated with higher age.

ZDPT: NCT01017354, NFP53: NCT00133640, OA: NCT00599807.