Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Sample According to Fall Status
| Total (N = 3783) | No Fall (3468) | Hospital Admission After a Fall (N = 315) | p Value (test for trend) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y): mean (SD) | 69.6 (7.6) | 69.1 (7.2) | 74.4 (9.2) | <.0001 |
| Women | 1992 (52.7) | 1793 (51.7) | 199 (63.2) | <.0001 |
| Living alone | 948 (25.1) | 825 (23.8) | 123 (39.1) | <.0001 |
| Wealth (lowest quintile) | 511 (13.5) | 440 (12.7) | 71 (22.5) | <.0001 |
| Balance (side-by-side stand) | 88 (2.3) | 68 (2.0) | 20 (6.4) | <.0001 |
| Balance (tandem) | 715 (18.9) | 584 (16.8) | 131 (41.6) | <.0001 |
| Chair rises (single) | 307 (8.1) | 244 (7.0) | 63 (20.0) | <.0001 |
| Gait (m/s): mean (SD) | 0.86 (0.33) | 0.87 (0.33) | 0.67 (0.32) | <.0001 |
| Short Physical Performance Battery (≤8) | 1244 (32.9) | 1057 (30.5) | 187 (59.4) | <.0001 |
| Handgrip (kg): mean (SD) | 30.1 (11.0) | 30.6 (11.0) | 25.2 (10.0) | <.0001 |
| Self-reported previous fall (12 mo) | 929 (24.6) | 822 (23.7) | 107 (34.0) | <.0001 |
| Self-reported severe fall (12 mo) | 213 (5.6) | 171 (4.9) | 42 (13.3) | <.0001 |
| Vision impairment (fair/poor/blind) | 417 (11.0) | 359 (10.4) | 58 (18.4) | <.0001 |
| Urinary incontinence | 574 (15.2) | 489 (14.1) | 85 (27.0) | <.0001 |
| Difficulty with ADLs (1+) | 598 (15.8) | 501 (14.5) | 97 (30.8) | <.0001 |
| Difficulty with IADLs (1+) | 697 (18.4) | 572 (16.5) | 125 (39.7) | <.0001 |
| Depression (caseness) | 439 (11.6) | 377 (10.9) | 62 (19.7) | <.0001 |
| Cognition (verbal fluency): mean (SD) | 20.7 (6.5) | 20.9 (6.4) | 18.6 (6.7) | <.0001 |
| Coronary heart disease (CHD) | 458 (12.1) | 394 (11.4) | 64 (20.3) | <.0001 |
| Diabetes | 406 (10.8) | 362 (10.4) | 47 (14.9) | .014 |
| Stroke | 163 (4.3) | 139 (4.00) | 24 (7.6) | .003 |
| Arthritis | 1489 (39.4) | 1323 (38.2) | 166 (52.7) | <.0001 |
| Osteoporosis | 274 (7.2) | 231 (6.7) | 43 (13.7) | <.0001 |
| Parkinson’s disease | 23 (0.6) | 14 (0.4) | 9 (2.9) | <.0001 |
| BMI (kg/m2): mean (SD) | 28.2 (5.1) | 28.3 (5.0) | 27.8 (5.3) | .15 |
| Alcohol use (daily (5/7 days a week) | 925 (24.5) | 859 (24.8) | 66 (21.0) | .32 |
| Smoking (current smoker) | 386 (10.2) | 353 (10.2) | 33 (10.5) | .79 |
| Physical activity (sedentary) | 168 (4.4) | 141 (4.1) | 27 (8.6) | <.0001 |
Notes: ADLs = activities of daily living; BMI = body mass index; IADLs = instrumental activities of daily living. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise.