Falls and fall injuries among adults aged =65 years—United States, 2014.
Open accessAbstract
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among adults aged ≥65 years (older adults). During 2014, approximately 27,000 older adults died because of falls; 2.8 million were treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries, and approximately 800,000 of these patients were subsequently hospitalized.* To estimate the numbers, percentages, and rates of falls and fall injuries among older adults by selected characteristics and state, CDC analyzed data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. In 2014, 28.7% of older adults reported falling; the estimated 29.0 million falls resulted in 7.0 million injuries. Known effective strategies for reducing the number of older adult falls include a multifactorial clinical approach (e.g., gait and balance assessment, strength and balance exercises, and medication review). Health care providers can play an important role in fall prevention by screening older adults for fall risk, reviewing and managing medications linked to falls, and recommending vitamin D supplements to improve bone, muscle, and nerve health and reduce the risk for falls.
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- Authors
- Bergen, G., Stevens, M. R., & Burns, E. R.
- Corresponding author
- Bergen, Gwen
- Venue
- MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
- Published
- 2016-09-23
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 37
- Pages
- 993-998
- ISSN
- 0149-2195 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-861X
- OpenAlex
- W2521242676
- Cited by
- 1,235
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 79 · 2025: 110 · 2024: 152 · 2023: 141 · 2022: 174 · 2021: 178 · 2020: 156 · 2019: 113 · 2018: 81 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 210.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Injury Epidemiology and Prevention
- Keywords
- falls, fall-related injuries, older adults, fall prevention, fall risk screening, medication review, vitamin D supplementation, gait and balance assessment, emergency department visits, hospitalization, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
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