Abstract
Falls are a major health problem for persons aged 65 years and over. This study examined differences in patterns of fall-related injuries and deaths between age groups, sexes, and among Health Regions of BC. For those under the age of 65 years, fall-related injuries are highest among males, whereas for those 65 and over, falls among females exceed those among males by 2:1. For persons aged 65 and over, 84% of hospital days for unintentional injuries involve falls, with transportation and “other” unintentional injuries contributing 16%. While older women are hospitalized more often for fall-related injuries, more older men die from fall-related injuries. Hospitalization rates due to injuries from falls are highest in the Northern Regions of BC. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Résumé
Les chutes constituent un problème de santé important chez les personnes de 65 ans et plus. L’étude examine les différences dans les types de blessures et de décès à la suite d’une chute par groupes d’âge, par sexes et par régions sanitaires de la Colombie-Britannique. Chez les personnes de moins de 65 ans, le pourcentage des blessures à la suite d’une chute est le plus élevé chez les hommes alors que parmi les personnes de 65 ans et plus, les chutes chez les femmes sont le double de celles des hommes. Pour les personnes âgées de 65 ans et plus, 84 % des journées d’hospitalisation pour une blessure involontaire sont associées à des chutes, les “autres” blessures involontaires et celles associées aux déplacements constituant les 16 % qui restent. Alors que les femmes âgées sont plus souvent hospitalisées pour des blessures liées à une chute, un plus grand nombre d’hommes âgés décèdent des suites de blessures liées à une chute. Le taux d’hospitalisation à la suite d’une chute est le plus élevé dans les régions du nord de la Colombie-Britannique. On discute également les conséquences de ces résultats sur la politique.
Footnotes
Work on this report was funded in part by a Doctoral Fellowship for Victoria Scott from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
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