Medical Conditions and Medications Associated with Falls in Low-Income Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Background Approximately 30% of individuals over the age of 65 experience at least one fall annually. Certain medications and medical conditions are known to increase the risk of falling; however, further research is needed to better understand this issue among low-income, community-dwelling older adults. Objective This study aims to identify the medical conditions and medications that increase the risk of falls among low-income, community-dwelling older adults in Richmond, Virginia. Methods The Mobile Health and Wellness Program (MHWP) was established by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) faculty in 2012 to provide free care coordination services for older adults living in low-income communities. Currently, MHWP serves 1,648 older adults residing in Richmond's subsidized housing communities or accessing services through a clinic. Older adults with documented fall history (self-reported yes or no), at least one medical condition, and at least one prescription medication were selected for chart review. Data for 499 participants were accessed via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) and exported into IBM SPSS Statistics for Macintosh, Version 29.0 for statistical analyses. Chi-square tests were used to compare medication use and medical conditions with fall risk. Results Among the MHWP participants who met the inclusion criteria (n = 459), 27% (n = 125) self-reported experiencing a fall within the previous two years. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, epilepsy, osteoarthritis, and stroke were significantly more prevalent in fallers compared to non-fallers. Additionally, the use of pain medications, antihypertensives, anti-seizure medications, and metformin was significantly more common among fallers than non-fallers. Conclusion Prioritizing community-dwelling older adults with the medical conditions and/or medications identified in our study may enable a more targeted approach to reducing fall risk.