Table 1 Characteristics of participants with respect to falls during initial monitoring period and long-term follow-up
Total (n=230) | No falls (n=119) | 1 fall, no injuries (n=51) | ≥2 falls, no injuries (n=40) | ≥1 fall, injuries (n=20) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age, mean (SD) | 79.5 (3.7) | 79.0 (3.0) | 80.0 (3.9) | 79.0 (3.9) | 82.8 (4.7) |
Women, n (%) | 166 (72) | 89 (75) | 38 (75) | 22 (55) | 17 (85) |
Mini-Mental State Examination, score, mean (SD) | 27.7 (1.8) | 27.7 (1.8) | 28.0 (1.7) | 27.7 (1.9) | 26.9 (2.2) |
Living alone, n (%) | 123 (54) | 63 (53) | 30 (59) | 17 (43) | 13 (65) |
Use of walking aid indoors, n (%) | 20 (9) | 10 (8) | 4 (8) | 2 (5) | 4 (20) |
Fear of falling, n (%) | 113 (49) | 57 (48) | 26 (51) | 16 (40) | 14 (70) |
15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, 0–15 points, mean (SD) | 1.7 (2.0) | 1.6 (1.9) | 1.4 (1.4) | 1.5 (1.6) | 3.6 (3.2) |
Diagnosis and use of drugs | |||||
Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 20 (9) | 11 (9) | 7 (14) | 2 (5) | 3 (15) |
Previous stroke, n (%) | 28 (12) | 13 (11) | 7 (14) | 5 (13) | 0 (0) |
Heart disease, n (%) | 53 (23) | 27 (23) | 10 (20) | 12 (30) | 4 (20) |
Rheumatism/Arthritis, n (%) | 15 (7) | 7 (6) | 4 (8) | 3 (8) | 1 (5) |
Prescription drugsa ≥1, n (%) | 104 (45) | 51 (43) | 19 (37) | 21 (52) | 13 (68) |
Measures of Function | |||||
Barthel Index score, mean (SD) | 19.9 (0.5) | 19.8 (0.5) | 19.9 (0.3) | 19.9 (0.5) | 19.7 (0.6) |
Preferred gait speed (m/s) over a distance of 6.1 m, mean (SD) | 1.1 (0.3) | 1.1 (0.3) | 1.1 (0.3) | 1.1 (0.2) | 0.9 (0.2) |
Short Physical Performance Battery score, mean (SD) | 10.1 (2.1) | 10.3 (2.1) | 10.0 (2.3) | 10.6 (1.2) | 8.8 (2.6) |
Previous fall before baseline b | |||||
Single fall in previous year, n (%) | 81 (35) | 45 (38) | 18 (35) | 14 (35) | 4 (20) |
≥2 falls in previous year, n (%) | 45 (20) | 10 (8) | 11 (22) | 16 (40) | 8 (40) |
Fracture previous 5 years, n (%) | 95 (41) | 46 (39) | 22 (43) | 13 (25) | 14 (70) |
Long-term follow-up | |||||
Individuals visiting the emergency department ≥1 time due to injurious falls, n (%) | 70 (30) | 33 (28) | 16 (31) | 12 (30) | 9 (45) |
Number of visits to the emergency department during long-term follow-up | 91 | 39 | 18 | 15 | 19 |
Years of follow-up in the long-term follow-up, mean (SD) | 5.0 (1.1) | 5.3 (1.0) | 5.0 (0.9) | 4.6 (1.5) | 4.9 (0.9) |