Table 1:
Pre-fall characteristics of the study sample (Mean (SD) unless otherwise noted.)
| Overall (n = 1040) | Fallers (n = 598) | Non-fallers (n = 442) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age | 77.9 (7.2) | 79.1 (7.0) | 76.3 (7.2) | <0.001 |
| Female N (%) | 622 (59.8) | 371 (62.0) | 251 (56.8) | 0.096 |
| Education group N (%) | 0.538 | |||
| Less than high school | 118 (11.3) | 72 (12.0) | 46 (10.4) | |
| High school | 458 (44.0) | 267 (44.6) | 191 (43.2) | |
| More than high school | 464 (44.6) | 259 (43.3) | 205 (46.4) | |
| Covariates | ||||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 27.7 (5.4) | 27.9 (5.3) | 27.3 (5.4) | 0.011 |
| Physically active N (%) | 710 (66.3) | 411 (68.7) | 299 (67.8) | 0.787 |
| Depressive symptoms (mCES-D) | 0.6 (1.7) | 0.7 (1.9) | 0.4 (1.3) | 0.092 |
| Impaired visual acuity N (%) | 261 (25.7) | 145 (25.0) | 116 (26.7) | 0.562 |
| Number of medications | 4.1 (3.0) | 4.5 (3.1) | 3.6 (2.8) | <0.001 |
| Subjective health N (%) | 0.011 | |||
| Poor/Fair | 122 (11.7) | 80 (13.3) | 42 (9.5) | |
| Good | 480 (46.2) | 288 (48.2) | 192 (43.4) | |
| Very good/Excellent | 438 (42.1) | 230 (38.5) | 208 (47.1) | |
| Cognitive predictors | ||||
| Attention z-score | 0.1 (0.8) | 0.0 (0.8) | 0.1 (0.7) | 0.033 |
| Executive function z-score | 0.1 (0.7) | 0.1 (0.8) | 0.1 (0.7) | 0.364 |
| Memory z-score | 0.2 (0.8) | 0.2 (0.9) | 0.1 (0.8) | 0.044 |
| Visuospatial skill z-score | 0.1 (1.0) | 0.1 (1.0) | 0.1 (1.0) | 0.353 |
| Timed Up and Go | ||||
| Pre-fall or first assessment (s) | 12.5 (3.3) | 12.8 (3.9) | 12.0 (3.1) | <0.001 |
| Post-fall or second assessment (s) | 12.7 (3.6) | 13.3 (3.9) | 12.0 (3.1) | <0.001 |
| Change in TUG | 0.3 (2.3) | 0.5 (2.5) | 0.0 (2.1) | 0.031 |
Notes: Percentages exclude participants with missing data. P-values compare fallers and non-faller distributions using Wilcoxon rank sum test for quantitative variables (age, BMI, depressive symptoms, number of medications, cognitive predictors) and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables.
Missing data for fallers: 9 BMI, 18 visual acuity, 2 number medications, 3 memory z-score, 70 visuospatial skill z-score
Missing data for non-fallers: 7 BMI, 1 physical activity, 7 visual acuity, 1 memory z-score, 18 visuospatial skill z-score
BMI: body mass index, mCES-D: modified Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, TUG: Timed Up and Go