. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Dec 6.

Published in final edited form as: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 May;60(5):10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03931.x. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03931.x

Table 2.

Resident Characteristics and Risk Factors for Falls in Newly Admitted Nursing Home Residents Remaining in the Facility for at Least 30 Days

	Resident Cohort			Unadjusted	Adjusted

Characteristic or Risk Factor	Total (n = 230,730)	Nonfallers (n = 182,980)	Fallers (n = 47,750)	OR (95% Confidence Interval)
Time interval to follow-up assessment, mean ± SD	62.9 ± 26.2	63.4 ± 25.6	61.0 ± 28.4
Age, mean ± SD	78.9 ± 12.2	78.5 ± 12.4	80.5 ± 10.9	1.01 (1.01–1.01)^a	1.01 (1.01–1.01)^a
Female, %	64.1	64.9	61.1	0.83 (0.81–0.85)^a	0.79 (0.77–0.81)^a
Race, %
White (reference)	81.5	80.3	87.2
Black	12.8	13.7	9.3	0.65 (0.63–0.67)^a	0.81 (0.78–0.84)^a
Hispanic	4	4.3	3	0.72 (0.67–0.76)^a	0.80 (0.75–0.85)^a
Other	1.7	1.7	1.5	0.86 (0.78–0.93)^a	0.92 (0.84–1.01)
Medicare Part A, %	70.6	70.2	72.2	1.09 (1.06–1.12)^a	1.00 (0.98–1.03)
Fall history, %	40.2	35.8	56.9	2.37 (2.32–2.42)^a	2.31 (2.26–2.37)^a
Comorbidity, %
Diabetes mellitus	29.1	29.3	27.9	0.94 (0.92–0.97)^a	1.09 (1.06–1.12)^a
Cerebrovascular accident	17.3	17	18.1	1.09 (1.06–1.12)^a	1.15 (1.12–1.19)^a
Parkinson's disease	3.9	3.5	5.3	1.53 (1.46–1.61)^a	1.24 (1.18–1.31)^a
Cardiac dysrhythmia	12.1	11.8	13.2	1.10 (1.06–1.13)^a	1.03 (1.00–1.07)^a
Congestive heart failure	17.7	17.8	17.4	0.97 (0.94–0.99)^a	1.03 (1.00–1.06)^a
Hypertension	53.5	53.6	53.8	0.99 (0.97–1.01)	0.96 (0.94–0.98)^a
Hypotension	1.1	1.1	1.3	1.16 (1.06–1.28)^a	1.04 (0.95–1.15)
Arthritis	19.7	19.7	19.9	0.98 (0.95–1.01)	0.95 (0.92–0.98)^a
Osteoporosis	11.2	11.2	11.5	1.00 (0.97–1.04)	0.92 (0.90–0.96)^a
Hip fracture	8.2	8	9.2	1.16 (1.12–1.20)^a	0.88 (0.84–0.92)^a
Alzheimer's disease	11.9	11.5	13.8	1.21 (1.18–1.25)^a	1.01 (0.97–1.04)
Dementia	23.1	22.2	27.2	1.30 (1.27–1.33)^a	1.05 (1.02–1.07)^a
Depression	26.8	26	29.8	1.20 (1.17–1.22)^a	1.05 (1.02–1.08)^a
Emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	15.5	15.7	15.1	0.95 (0.92–0.97)^a	0.97 (0.94–1.00)^a
Diabetic retinopathy	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.87 (0.74–1.03)	1.00 (0.84–1.19)
Glaucoma	4.5	4.4	4.5	1.01 (0.96–1.06)	0.95 (0.90–1.00)^a
Macular degeneration	2.7	2.6	3	1.11 (1.04–1.17)^a	1.00 (0.94–1.07)
Cataracts	2.6	2.6	2.7	1.00 (0.94–1.06)	0.97 (0.90–1.03)
Urinary tract infection	18.6	18.5	18.9	1.02 (0.99–1.04)	0.97 (0.94–1.00)^a
Urinary incontinence	18.2	18.2	18.6	1.07 (1.04–1.10)^a	0.97 (0.94–1.00)^a
Symptoms in last 7 days, %
Dizziness	1.6	1.4	2	1.22 (1.13–1.31)^a	1.09 (1.01–1.17)^a
Syncope	0.6	0.4	0.9	1.40 (1.25–1.57)^a	1.09 (0.96–1.22)
Medications
Number of medications, mean ± SD	10.1 ± 4.6	10.1 ± 4.6	10.2 ± 4.5	1.00 (1.00–1.00)^a	1.01 (1.00–1.01)^a
Antipsychotic medication, %	19.4	18.7	22.2	1.27 (1.24–1.30)^a	1.07 (1.04–1.10)^a
Anti-anxiety medication, %	16.7	15.6	20.3	1.37 (1.34–1.41)^a	1.26 (1.22–1.29)^a
Antidepressant, %	32.7	31.7	36.8	1.24 (1.22–1.27)^a	1.18 (1.15–1.22)^a
Diuretic, %	31.3	31.5	30.3	0.93 (0.91–0.95)^a	0.97 (0.94–0.99)^a
Hypnotic, %	8.5	8.4	8.9	1.07 (1.03–1.10)^a	1.07 (1.03–1.11)^a
Daily pain, %	20.1	20.4	18.9	0.88 (0.86–0.91)^a	0.95 (0.92–0.97)^a
Cognitive Performance Scale score, %
0–2 (low) (reference)	54.6	56.8	46.4
3–4 (moderate)	36.6	34.6	44.2	1.59 (1.56–1.63)^a	1.38 (1.35–1.42)^a
5–6 (high)	8.8	8.6	9.4	1.37 (1.32–1.42)^a	1.35 (1.29–1.41)^a
Wandering in last 7 days, %	9	8.2	12.1	1.53 (1.48–1.58)^a	1.28 (1.24–1.33)^a
Body mass index, kg/m², %
<18.5	10.6	10.5		0.99 (0.96–1.03)	1.05 (1.01–1.08)^a
18.5–30.0 (reference)	70.6	69.7	74
>30.0	18.8	19.8	15.1	0.71 (0.69–0.73)^a	0.83 (0.81–0.86)^a
ADL (range 0–28), mean ± SD	16.3 ± 6.9	16.3 ± 7.1	16.6 ± 6.2	1.01 (1.01–1.01)^a	1.00 (1.00–1.00)
Impaired balance, %	91.9	91.3	94.2	1.52 (1.46–1.59)^a	1.33 (1.27–1.40)^a
Bedbound, %	3.5	3.9	2.1	0.53 (0.50–0.57)^a	0.66 (0.62–0.71)^a
Uses a cane, crutch, walker, %	33.3	32.2	37.8	1.27 (1.24–1.29)^a	1.20 (1.17–1.23)^a
Range of motion, %
Limited in lower extremity	30.2	30.9	27.8	0.86 (0.84–0.88)^a	0.88 (0.86–0.91)^a
Limited in feet	19.8	20.6	16.9	0.78 (0.76–0.80)^a	0.93 (0.90–0.96)^a
Restraints used daily in last 7 days, %	1.3	1.2	1.8	1.57 (1.44–1.70)^a	1.04 (0.96–1.13)

Interpretation of continuous variables odds ratios (ORs): medication (adjusted model), for each additional medication per day there is a 1% increasein odds of a fall; activity of daily living (ADL) status in the unadjusted model can be interpreted as each additional unit increase in ADL score was associated with a 1% increase in odds of a fall.

SD=standard deviation.

P < .05.