Research on falls continues to hammer home the idea that falls prevention isn't just a possibility: it's a crucial response to a growing public health issue.
Falls Are a "Major Issue" for Middle-Aged Women. A study of 273 women between 41 and 62 revealed that during a one-year period, 115 of the women sustained a total of 209 falls, with a one-year incidence of 42% for any fall, 17% for two or more falls, and 24% for injurious falls. Authors describe middle-aged women as a group "that has been largely ignored in the prevention of falls" and recommend that they be a target for falls prevention efforts. The study appeared in Osteoporosis International.
Lack of Physical Activity is a Risk Factor for Falls. This July, a 2020 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2018, more than one in four (27.5%) adults 65 and older reported a fall in the past year, with 10.2% of those falls resulting in an injury. That percentage is down slightly from 2016, but what remains constant is the link between lack of physical activity and higher risk for falls. "These risk factors are modifiable," writes the CDC, "suggesting that regardless of age, many falls might be prevented."
Home-Based Exercise Programs Can Reduce Falls. Researchers tracked 344 older adults who received a home-based strength and balance retraining exercise program and found a significant reduction in the rate of subsequent falls compared with participants who received "usual geriatric care" — 1.4 falls per person-year, compared with 2.1 falls in the "usual care" group. The study was first published in JAMA.
Additional resources for consumers, and for PTs to share with their patients, are available on ChoosePT Health Center on Falls.
(Source: American Physical Therapy Association)
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