Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of the Older Adults From the European Cohorts With Prospective Data on Falls
| Variable | LASA (n = 1 433) | B-PROOF (n = 2 912) | ActiFE Ulm (n = 1 377) | Total (n = 5 722) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 75 [69, 81] | 73 [69, 78] | 74 [70, 81] | 74 [69, 79] | <.001 |
| Sex, female | 738 (51.5) | 1 456 (50.0) | 591 (42.9) | 2 785 (48.7) | <.001 |
| Educational status | <.001 | ||||
| Low | 1 038 (72.5) | 2 006 (68.9) | 1 069 (78.5) | 4 113 (72.1) | |
| Middle | 219 (15.3) | 149 (5.1) | 141 (10.4) | 509 (8.9) | |
| High | 174 (12.2) | 755 (25.9) | 151 (11.1) | 1 080 (18.9) | |
| Depressive symptoms* | 212 (15.3) | 132 (4.6) | 140 (10.7) | 484 (8.7) | <.001 |
| Animals or items named in verbal fluency test | ― | 12 [9, 15] | 21 [17, 25] | 17 [12, 23] | <.001 |
| BMI | 26.93 ± 4.28 | 27.14 ± 3.96 | 27.56 ± 4.12 | 27.19 ± 4.08 | <.001 |
| Visual impairment | 102 (7.1) | ― | 201 (14.8) | 303 (10.9) | <.001 |
| Number of functional limitations (0–5) | 1 [0, 2] | ― | 0 [0, 2] | 1 [0, 2] | <.001 |
| Grip strength (kg) | 29.23 ± 10.18 | 32.49 ± 10.84 | 33.51 ± 11.37 | 31.91 ± 10.93 | <.001 |
| Urinary incontinence | 359 (25.1) | ― | 511 (37.6) | 870 (31.2) | <.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 153.08 ± 23.91 | 148.73 ± 19.68 | 142.34 ± 11.81 | 148.20 ± 19.67 | <.001 |
| ≥1 fall in previous 12 months | 458 (32.0) | 737 (32.6) | 469 (34.5) | 1 664 (33.0) | .348 |
| ≥2 falls in previous 12 months | 215 (15.1) | 268 (11.9) | 157 (11.6) | 640 (12.7) | .006 |
| Current smoker | 265 (18.5) | 281 (9.6) | 88 (6.4) | 634 (11.1) | <.001 |
| Anti-Parkinson drugs | 6 (0.4) | 38 (1.3) | 24 (1.7) | 68 (1.2) | .004 |
| Antiepileptics | 17 (1.2) | 52 (1.8) | 39 (2.8) | 108 (1.9) | .005 |
| Drugs for urinary frequency and incontinence | 7 (0.5) | 40 (1.4) | 29 (2.1) | 76 (1.3) | .001 |
| Antihistamines | 16 (1.1) | 83 (2.9) | 17 (1.2) | 116 (2.0) | <.001 |
Notes: ActiFE Ulm = Activity and Function in the Elderly in Ulm study; BMI = body mass index; B-PROOF = B-vitamins for the PRevention Of Osteoporotic Fractures study; LASA = Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam; SD = standard deviation. Data are presented as mean ± SD, n (%), or median [interquartile range]. The sign “―” indicates the corresponding variable is systematically missing.
*Defined by validated cutoff scores for Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (in LASA), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale (in ActiFE Ulm), and Geriatric Depression Scale (in B-PROOF).
p Values were calculated using chi-square tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and ANOVA tests.