Prevalence of and factors associated with head impact during falls in older adults in long-term care.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Falls cause more than 60% of head injuries in older adults. Lack of objective evidence on the circumstances of these events is a barrier to prevention. We analyzed video footage to determine the frequency of and risk factors for head impact during falls in older adults in 2 long-term care facilities.

Methods

Over 39 months, we captured on video 227 falls involving 133 residents. We used a validated questionnaire to analyze the mechanisms of each fall. We then examined whether the probability for head impact was associated with upper-limb protective responses (hand impact) and fall direction.

Results

Head impact occurred in 37% of falls, usually onto a vinyl or linoleum floor. Hand impact occurred in 74% of falls but had no significant effect on the probabil

SUBMITTER: Schonnop R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3832581 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature