Table 2

Prevalence, incidence, fall free survival and risk estimates of prospectively reported falls during follow-up year

Study participant characteristics
Prevalence:
How common is falling or repeated falling
>90 years?
Incidence:
How frequently do
>90-year-olds fall?
Fall free survival:
How long till a fall?


n
Reported
≥ 1 fall in
follow/up
n (%)
Relative Risk
– unadjusted
RR (95% C.I.)
Reported
≥ 2 falls in
follow/up
n (%)
Relative Risk
– unadjusted
RR (95% C.I.)
N° of
f/up
falls
P-yrs
of
f/up
F/up
falls
/p-yr
Incidence
Rate Ratio
– unadjusted
IRR (95% C.I.)
Time to
1st fall
Mean (SD)
Hazard Ratio
-unadjusted
HR (95% C.I.)

AGE











Each additional year > 91 years

-
1.0 (1.0–1.1)
-
1.1 (1.0–1.2)
-
-
-
1.04 (1.0–1.2)

-
AGE-BAND











91–94 years old
74
43 (58)
1.0
31 (42)
1.0
174
68.2
2.6
1.0
130(89)
1.0
≥ 95 years old
36
23 (64)
1.1 (0.8–1.4)
18 (50)
1.2 (0.7–1.7)
91
27.5
3.3
1.5 (0.7–3.1)
75(66)
1.6 (0.9–2.6)
GENDER











Men
20
10 (50)
1.0
7 (35)
1.0
54
17.2
3.1
1.0
108(92)
1.0
Women
90
56 (62)
1.3 (0.8–1.6)
42 (47)
1.3 (0.7–2.0)
211
78.5
2.7
0.8 (0.3–2.3)
111(85)
1.3 (0.7–2.6)
PLACE OF RESIDENCE











Living in the community
(house, flat or granny flat)
62
35 (57)
1.0
25 (40)
1.0
138
56.1
2.5
1.0
116(96)
1.0
Living in any supported setting
(Sheltered housing or institution)
48
31 (65)
1.1 (0.8–1.4)
24 (50)
1.3 (0.8–1.7)
127
39.7
3.2
1.4 (0.8–2.4)
104(73)
1.3 (0.8–2.1)
EDUCATION











Left school aged 14 yrs or less
67
38 (57)
1.0
26 (39)
1.0
118
57.1
2.1
1.0
126(95)
1.0
Full-time education aged 15+ yrs
43
28 (65)
1.1 (0.8–1.4)
23 (54)
1.4 (0.9–1.8)
147
38.6
3.8
1.8 (0.9–3.7)
89(66)
1.4 (0.8–2.2)
SOCIAL CLASS











Manual
55
34 (62)
1.0
21 (38)
1.0
95
46.5
2.0
1.0
120(86)
1.0
Non-manual
51
30 (59)
1.0 (0.6–1.2)
27 (53)
1.4 (0.9–1.9)
163
46.2
3.5
1.9 (1.0–3.6)
103(87)
0.9 (0.5–1.5)
FALL HISTORY











Not fallen in year before interview
46
23 (50)
1.0
14 (30)
1.0
47
40.8
1.2
1.0
132(92)
1.0
Fallen at least once in past year
63
42 (67)
1.3 (0.9–1.6)
34 (54)
1.8 (1.1–2.4)
216
54.6
4.0
3.6 (2.0–6.3)
101(81)
1.7 (1.0–2.8)
Fallen only once or not past year
72
32 (44)
1.0
21 (29)
1.0
80
62.4
1.3
1.0
137(89)
1.0
Fallen > once in past year
37
33 (89)
2.0 (1.6–2.2)
27 (73)
2.5 (1.8–3.0)
183
33.0
5.6
4.7 (2.6–8.7)
88(75)
3.5 (2.1–5.7)

TOTAL SAMPLE
110
66 (60)

49 (45)

265
95.7
2.8

111(85)


Fleming et al. BMC Geriatrics 2008 8:6   doi:10.1186/1471-2318-8-6