Sustainable fall prevention across Europe: challenges and opportunities
Nathalie van der Velde, Lotta J Seppala, Mirko Petrović, Jesper Ryg, Maw Pin Tan, Manuel Montero‐Odasso, Finbarr C. Martin, Tahir Masud
Abstract
Falls and related injuries form a growing health-care problem in aging societies. Between 40 and 60% of older fallers in the last year report being injured [1]. Around 15–20% of falls result in serious (non-fracture) injuries including fractures [2]. Non-injurious falls have also been associated with adverse health effects, including accelerated functional decline, anxiety and depression, fear of falling, and social withdrawal [3]. Consequently, fall incidents have an impact on societal health-care expenditure, equaling 0.85–1.5% of the total health-care expenditure in Western countries [4].
Topics & Concepts
Fall preventionMedicineEnvironmental healthSuicide preventionPoison controlBalance, Gait, and Falls PreventionInjury Epidemiology and PreventionChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research