Table 1.
Characteristics of older adults (aged ≥65 years) according to whether they reported falling in the past year: Medicare Current Beneficiaries Survey, 2017, 2019 and 2021, USA
| Characteristic | No Fall* | Fall* | P value† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported fall, % | 75.5 | 24.5 | |
| Number of falls, % | |||
| 1 | 50.4 | ||
| 2 | 24.3 | ||
| 3 | 10.8 | ||
| 4 | 4.5 | ||
| 5 | 3.3 | ||
| ≥6 | 6.7 | ||
| Female, % | 54.4 | 58.6 | 0.02 |
| White, non-Hispanic, % | 85.9 | 90.0 | <0.001 |
| Age, average | 77.9 | 79.2 | <0.001 |
| Income, average, US$ | 65 429 | 58 822 | <0.001 |
| Education, % | 0.02 | ||
| < High school | 10.0 | 12.6 | |
| High school graduate | 24.3 | 23.1 | |
| Some college | 29.3 | 31.8 | |
| College graduate | 36.3 | 32.5 | |
| Region, % | 0.94 | ||
| Northeast | 17.5 | 16.5 | |
| Midwest | 22.2 | 22.8 | |
| South | 38.8 | 38.6 | |
| West | 21.5 | 22.1 | |
| Self-rated general health, % | <0.001 | ||
| Excellent | 19.5 | 11.0 | |
| Very good | 36.7 | 28.2 | |
| Good | 29.7 | 35.0 | |
| Fair | 11.1 | 19.3 | |
| Poor | 2.9 | 6.6 | |
| Health conditions, % | |||
| Alzheimer’s disease | 1.7 | 3.3 | 0.01 |
| BMI (mean) | 27.6 | 27.8 | <0.001 |
| Overweight | 37.1 | 34.5 | 0.09 |
| Obese | 29.9 | 34.4 | 0.41 |
| Cancer | 40.7 | 45.3 | <0.001 |
| Congestive heart failure | 5.8 | 11.2 | <0.001 |
| Dementia | 2.0 | 5.1 | <0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 28.1 | 38.6 | <0.001 |
| Emphysema, asthma, COPD | 17.1 | 25.9 | <0.001 |
| High blood pressure | 61.6 | 71.0 | <0.001 |
| Legally blind | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.10 |
| Myocardial infraction | 8.5 | 13.9 | <0.001 |
| Osteoporosis/soft bones | 17.6 | 24.3 | <0.001 |
| Other heart conditions | 25.2 | 34.5 | <0.001 |
| Stroke, brain haemorrhage | 8.3 | 14.8 | <0.001 |
*
Weighted data reported.
†
P value based on χ2 test.
BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.