Factors associated with falls and recurrent falls in elderly: a population-based study

Objective: Identify the prevalence and factors associated with falls and recurrent falls in a sample of community-dwelling elderly. Methods: Cross-sectional, population based study, with participants aged 65 and older. Households were enrolled within each census region according to population density and number of elderly living in each region. It was used a multidimensional questionnaire composed of sociodemographic, clinical, psychological and physical functioning performance data and a battery of physical tests. Results: The sample was composed by 391 participants with mean age (SD) of 72.4 (6.0) years. Among the participants, 37.5% reported fall in the last year and 16.5% reported two or more falls. Falling was associated with depressive symptoms (OR=1.96; 95% CI 1.22-3.14, p=0.005); living alone (OR=2.83; 95% CI 1.57-5.12, p