- Title
- Prospective association between physical activity and falls in community-dwelling older women
- Creator
- Heesch, K. C.; Byles, J. E.; Brown, W. J.
- Relation
- Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health Vol. 62, Issue 5, p. 421-426
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2007.064147
- Publisher
- BMJ Publishing Group
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2008
- Description
- Objective: To explore associations between physical activity and the risk of falls and fractured bones in community-dwelling older women. Design, setting and participants: A prospective observational survey with three and six-year follow-ups. The sample included 8188 healthy, community-dwelling women, aged 70-75 years in 1996, who completed surveys as participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women who reported a recent serious injury from falling were excluded. Outcomes were reports of a fall to the ground, injury from a fall, and a fractured bone in 1999 and 2002. The main predictor variable was physical activity level in 1996, categorised on the basis of weekly frequency as none/very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Covariates were demographic and health-related variables. Logistic regression models were computed separately for each outcome in 1999 and 2002. Main results: In multivariable models, very high physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of reporting a fall in 1999 ( odds ratio ( OR) 0.67; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.95) and in 2002 ( OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.43 to 0.96). High/very high physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of a fractured bone in 2002 ( OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.34 to 0.83). No significant association was found between physical activity and injury from a fall. Conclusions: The results suggest that at least daily moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity is required for the primary prevention of falls to the ground and fractured bones in women aged 70-75 years.
- Subject
- risk-factors; hip fracture; postmenopausal women; health Australia; elderly people; prevention; exercise; people; adults; population
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/38687
- Identifier
- uon:4345
- Identifier
- ISSN:0143-005X
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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