Health, functional capacity, health behaviour, psychosocial factors and falling in old age

This study was done to investigate health, functional capacity, health behaviour and psychosocial factors associated with the occurrence of falls leading to medical treatment in elderly Finns (> or = 65 yrs). An unmatched case-control study was performed in the Town of Pori, Western Finland during the 12 months from September 1987 to August 1988. The series consisted of 380 fallers who sought medical treatment and 342 elderly control subjects selected randomly from the population register. Logistic regression analysis showed falls in the home-dwelling men to be associated with high age, high white blood cell count, poor self-perceived health and presence of depressive symptoms. In the home-dwelling women the occurrence of falls was associated with high white blood cell count, low blood haemoglobin level, high age and being afraid of falling. The occurrence of falling in the women showed a tendency to be associated with poor functional capacity, high axillary temperature and poor mental capacity. In the log-linear model in the men occurrence of falling was independently associated with poor self-perceived health and with high white blood cell count. In the women occurrence of falling was associated with high age, poor functional capacity, poor mental capacity, low blood haemoglobin and high white blood cell count. High age was associated with poor functional capacity and with low blood haemoglobin. Poor functional capacity and poor mental capacity were associated with each other. Poor mental and functional capacities, anaemia in women and acute infections are associated with falls leading to medical treatment in the elderly. Elderly subjects with an acute infection should be treated carefully to avoid falling complications.