Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Jamaica

The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of andrisk factors for falling among community-dwelling older adults in Jamaica. A two-stagecluster sample design was used to recruit a nationally representative sample of 2,943older adults. The fall prevalence in the past 6 months was 21.7%. In univariateanalysis, a significantly greater proportion of women, the increasingly old, ruralresidents, persons with vision problems (including cataracts), and those with keychronic conditions reported falling in this period compared with those without theserespective attributes (p < .05). The majority of falls reported have occurred in thehome (54.3%), and restriction of activities due to fear of falling was reported by 34.6%of respondents. Logistic regression found sex, area of residence, eyesight problems,cataracts, high blood pressure, and depression to be independent risk factors forfalling. The falls in older adults represent a major public health issue. Identificationof modifiable risk factors in developing countries such as Jamaica may help in thedevelopment of appropriate strategies to reduce fall risk