• Rebecca J Mitchell, Wendy L Watson, Andrew Milat, Amy Z Q Chung, and Stephen Lord.
• Falls and Injury Prevention Group, Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Australia. r.mitchell@unsw.edu.au
• J Safety Res. 2013 Jun 1;45:7-13.

IntroductionFall-related injuries among older people is a significant public health issue.MethodTo identify medical, general health and lifestyle factors associated with falls and multiple falls in older persons, a representative sample of people aged 65+ years living in the community in New South Wales (NSW) Australia were surveyed regarding their falls experience, lifestyle and general health.ResultsOne-quarter of respondents indicated they had fallen in the past 12 months. People who fell were more likely to be aged 85+ years, have cataracts, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue disorders, major diseases of the circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems, use four or more medications, use a mobility aid and be overweight than non-fallers. Individuals aged 85+ years and those who experienced circulatory diseases, used four or more medications and used mobility aids were more likely to experience multiple falls.DiscussionThis representative population-based survey reinforces the multi-factorial nature of falls and the complex interaction of risk factors that increase the likelihood of individuals having a fall or multiple falls. Agencies focused on community-based fall prevention strategies should adopt a systematic, integrated approach to reduce the burden of fall injury at the population-level and should have mechanisms in place at the population-level to monitor the success of fall reduction strategies.Copyright © 2013 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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