Why Is This Important?
Falls are a leading cause of injury death for Utahns, especially those aged 65 and older. Additionally, in Utah, unintentional fall-related inpatient hospital charges for all ages totaled over $1.9 billion from 2016 to 2022.Unintentional fall hospitalization visits by age group and sex, Utah, 2016-2022 |
Unintentional fall injury hospitalization rates are higher the older a person gets. Females had higher rates than males for the older age groups.
Data Sources
- Utah Inpatient Hospital Discharge Data, Healthcare Information & Analysis Programs, Office of Research & Evaluation, Utah Department of Health and Human Services
- For years 2010 and later, the population estimates are provided by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utah state and county annual population estimates are by single year of age and sex, IBIS Version 2023
Risk Factors
Risk factors for falls include older age, poor eyesight, lack of regular exercise, poor nutrition, substance abuse and smoking, and misuse of medications. Some medications can cause drowsiness or dizziness and some drugs can interact with other medications or alcohol and cause problems that may lead to falling. In addition, certain health conditions can increase the risk of falls including osteoporosis, arthritis, clinical depression, dementia, and neurological or musculoskeletal disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. In the home environmental hazards such as poor lighting, lack of grab bars and handrails, slippery or wet surfaces, uneven floors and surfaces, clutter, and loose throw rugs are factors in many falls.How Are We Doing?
Unintentional falls caused 386 unintentional fall-related deaths in Utah in 2023; 85.5% (330/386) of deaths were among Utahns aged 65 and older.
In 2022, females aged 65 and older had a significantly higher crude rate of hospitalizations due to unintentional falls (120.4 per 10,000 population) than males aged 65 and older (73.9 per 10,000 population).
Note: 2022 is the most current year for which data is available for hospitalizations. 2023 is the most current year for which data is available for deaths.What Is Being Done?
The DHHS Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) receives funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect traumatic brain injury surveillance data, including a falls-specific data module, for the state of Utah. This is done through review of hospital discharge data, vital statistics data, and hospital records abstractions.
Local health departments and other community-based agencies have implemented evidence-based falls prevention programs, such as the Stepping On program and Matter of Balance program. These programs work to increase strength and balance, reduce fall hazards in the home, and build self-efficacy among participants to reduce the fear of falling. National research shows the programs reduce falls among participants. The classes are free to the public.
The Utah Falls Prevention Coalition was established by the VIPP in 2011 with the purpose of developing a strategic, statewide response to the growing rate of falls among older adults in the state. Until this time, there had been no single, statewide response to address this public health problem in Utah. Many organizations were implementing falls prevention activities but resources and activities were scattered and disjointed when looked at from a public health perspective. The Coalition has three main purposes: 1) bring together partners who have an interest in falls prevention among older adults, 2) develop goals and strategies on falls prevention among older adults to include in the Utah Violence and Injury Plan, and 3) ready the state for future funding opportunities on falls prevention.
Date Indicator Content Last Updated: 10/02/2024
