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Falls are a significant public health problem. In Iowa and nationally, falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI); and, most fractures among older adults (65 or older) are caused by falls.
According to Pin & Spini (2016), falling has been associated with decreases in the well-being or quality of life among older adults. A fall without physical injuries in addition to the fear of falling without a prior fall, are associated with lower self-confidence in daily activities or lower quality of life (Pin & Spini, 2016*).
*Pin, S., & Spini, D. (2016). Impact of falling on social participation and social support trajectories in a middle-aged and elderly European sample. SSM - population health, 2, 382–389.doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.05.004
Persons who fall are more likely to fall again. A person who falls is more likely to feel less confident and hopeless, experience depression, and become socially isolated. Many people who fall develop a fear of falling, which may cause them to limit activities. This leads to reduced mobility and loss of physical fitness, which increases their risk of falling. Most falls are preventable and are not an inevitable part of aging.
Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits. In 2019, falls resulted in more than 9,000 hospitalizations and 90,000 emergency department visits. Iowans aged 65 or older account for the highest number of fall-related Injuries compared to other age groups.
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among Iowa adults age 65 or older. Although the rate of deaths from falls is increasing among all persons aged 65 years or older, it is increasing fastest among those aged 85 years or older. In Iowa, the rate of deaths from falls among older adults increased steadily from 2009 to 2019.
Back to topFall-related Injury Deaths Data Visualization
Measure Description:
- The Count of Deaths is the number of death certificates with any contributing cause of death code for unintentional fall-related injury.
- The Crude Rate (Per 100K) is the rate of death certificates with any contributing cause of death code for unintentional fall related injury per 100,000 Population.
- The Age Adjusted Rate (Per 100K) is the age adjusted rate of death certificates with any contributing cause of death code for unintentional fall-related injury per 100,000 Population. Age adjustment to the 2000 Standard US Census is done to allow direct comparison of rates in counties and states with different population age distributions.
Fall-related Injury Emergency Department Visits Data Visualization
Measure Description:
- The Count of ED Visits is the number of emergency department visits that includes a diagnosis code for unintentional fall-related injury.
- The Crude Rate (Per 100K) is the rate of emergency department visits that includes a diagnosis code for unintentional fall-related injury per 100,000 Population.
- The Age Adjusted Rate (Per 100K) is the age adjusted rate of emergency department visits that includes a diagnosis code for unintentional fall-related injury per 100,000 Population. Age adjustment to the 2000 Standard US Census is done to allow direct comparison of rates in counties and states with different population age distributions.
Fall-related Injury Hospitalizations Data Visualization
Measure Description:
- The Count of Hospitalizations is the number of inpatient hospital admissions that includes a diagnosis code for unintentional fall-related injury.
- The Crude Rate (Per 100K) is the rate of inpatient hospital admissions that includes a diagnosis code for unintentional fall-related injury per 100,000 Population.
- The Age Adjusted Rate (Per 100K) is the age adjusted rate of inpatient hospital admissions that includes a diagnosis code for unintentional fall-related injury per 100,000 Population. Age adjustment to the 2000 Standard US Census is done to allow direct comparison of rates in counties and states with different population age distributions.