Gender Issues in Falls in Older Community Dwelling Adults

Abstract

Falls are the leading cause of injury and hospitalisation for people aged 65 and over. It has been estimated that 20% of hospital admissions in this age group are a result of falls and Fildes (1994) reported that the costs of falls is about $2369 million annually in Victoria. The purpose of this paper is to present a profile of gender differences in the frequency and location of falls, fear of falling, and predictors of falls in community dwelling older adults.