Objective: Falls are a major cause of disability and mortality in older adults. Studies on falls in this population have mainly been conducted in high income countries, and scant attention has been given to the problem in low and middle income countries, including South Africa. The aim of the study was to establish a rate for falls in older adults in South Africa.
Design: A cross-sectional survey with a 12-month follow-up survey.
Setting: Three purposively selected suburbs of Cape Town: Plumstead, Wynberg Central and Gugulethu.
Participants: Eight hundred and thirty seven randomly sampled ambulant community-dwelling subjects aged ≥ 65 years grouped according to ethnicity in three sub-samples: black Africans, coloureds (people of mixed ancestry) and whites.
Measurements: Data were collected on socio-demographic and health characteristics, and history of falls using a structured questionnaire and a protocol for physical assessments and measurements.
Results: Of the total baseline (n=837) and follow-up (n=632) survey participants, 76.5% and 77.2 % were females with a mean (S.D) age of 74 years (6.4) and 75 years (6.2), respectively. Rates of 26.4% and 21.9% for falls and of 11% and 6.3% for recurrent falls, respectively, were calculated at baseline and follow-up. Fall rates differed by ethnic sub-sample at baseline: whites 42 %, coloureds 34.4% and black Africans 6.4 % (p=0.0005). Rates of 236, 406 and 354 falls per 1000 person years were calculated for men, women and both genders, respectively. Recurrent falls were more common in women than in men.
Conclusion: Falls are a significant problem in older adults in South Africa. Effective management of falls and falls prevention strategies for older people in South Africa, need to be developed and implemented.