Prevalence of falls in elderly women

Objective: To verify prevalence of falls and fear of falling, and to compare functional fitness among elderly women fallers and non-fallers.

Methods: Seventy-eight elderly women participated in this study. Cases of falls and the fear of falling were self-reported by the elderly women, while the functional fitness was measured by a set of functional tests. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe the sample. Independent t-test was used to compare functional fitness between groups.

Results: The prevalence of falls in this sample was 32.4%. Among women fallers, 40% self-reported a high fear of falling.

Conclusion: It is recommended that functional and resistance exercises are included in the preventive strategies for reducing risk factors for falls and its determinants in elderly women. Level of Evidence II, Prognostic-Prospective Study.