TABLE 1—
Percentages of Self-Reported Outdoor Falls With Selected Characteristics by Gender and Age Group
| Men | Women | ||||||
| Characteristic | Total (N = 297) | Middle-Aged (45–64 y) (n = 52) | Older (≥ 65) (n = 31) | Total (n = 83) | Middle-Aged (45–64 y) (n = 133) | Older (≥ 65) (n = 81) | Total (n = 214) |
| Place | |||||||
| Sidewalk, curb, street | 34.0 | 32.7 | 25.8 | 30.1 | 35.3 | 35.8 | 35.5 |
| Garden, patio, porch, deck | 23.6 | 5.8 | 48.4 | 21.7 | 20.3 | 30.8 | 24.3 |
| Outdoor park, recreation area | 14.5 | 23.1 | 6.5 | 16.9 | 17.3 | 7.4 | 13.6 |
| Parking garage, parking lots | 10.5 | 25.0 | 3.2 | 16.8 | 4.5 | 13.6 | 8.0 |
| Outdoor stairs | 8.8 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 14.3 | 6.2 | 11.2 |
| Other outdoor place | 8.8 | 11.5 | 12.9 | 12.0 | 8.3 | 6.2 | 7.5 |
| Activity during fall | |||||||
| Walking | 47.3 | 30.8 | 48.4 | 37.4 | 54.9 | 45.0 | 51.2 |
| Vigorous activitya | 2 | 38.5 | 3.2 | 25.3 | 12.8 | 8.8 | 11.3 |
| Walking up or down stairs | 16.9 | 13.5 | 9.7 | 12.1 | 18.8 | 18.8 | 18.8 |
| Other outside activityb | 20.6 | 17.3 | 38.7 | 25.3 | 13.5 | 27.5 | 17.8 |
| Environmental cause | |||||||
| Uneven surface | 6 | 36.0 | 45.2 | 39.5 | 56.2 | 42.0 | 50.7 |
| Wet surface | 21.0 | 13.7 | 30.0 | 19.8 | 27.5 | 12.3 | 21.7 |
| Tripped on something | 33.5 | 27.5 | 35.7 | 30.4 | 32.1 | 38.9 | 34.6 |
| Slipped on something | 20.2 | 19.6 | 9.7 | 15.9 | 28.7 | 13.6 | 22.9 |
| Any of the above | 73.4 | 61.5 | 74.2 | 66.3 | 78.9 | 71.6 | 76.2 |
| Other | |||||||
| On hard surface | 3 | 70.6 | 58.1 | 65.9 | 72.2 | 75.3 | 73.4 |
| From standing height or higher | 95.2 | 96.0 | 100.0 | 97.5 | 95.4 | 92.5 | 94.3 |
| Forward | 46.8 | 36.3 | 48.4 | 41.5 | 46.6 | 52.6 | 48.8 |
| Sideways | 23.6 | 31.4 | 25.8 | 29.3 | 18.8 | 25.6 | 21.3 |
| Backward | 15.0 | 19.6 | 12.9 | 17.1 | 18.1 | 7.7 | 14.2 |
| Straight down | 12.0 | 5.9 | 9.7 | 7.3 | 13.5 | 14.1 | 13.7 |
a Vigorous activities include jogging, running, bicycling, dancing, and other activities.
bOther activities include turning around (n = 9), reaching up or down (n = 11), getting into or out of a chair (n = 1), sitting or lying down (n = 2), bending over (n = 4), getting into or out of a motor vehicle (n = 3), gardening or house repair (n = 4), climbing up or down a ladder or a stool or getting over a large object (n = 3), and other (n = 10).