Socioeconomic Factors Associated With Increased Risk of Falls in Older Adults

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to use the National Health Interview Service (NHIS) database to assess the impact of socioeconomic factors on fall risk in older adults in the US. Methods: The NHIS database was retrospectively analyzed to assess several variables related to falls and resulting injuries in older adults. The database covered the period from 2000 to 2018. Results: Our study identified several correlations that have not been previously reported in the literature. Welfare recipiency was associated with more injuries from falls (aOR = 18.8, 95% CI: 1.9-185.6, P = .01), while US citizenship was associated with a lower risk of falls in older adults in the US (aOR = .4, 95% CI: .2-.9, P = .02). Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of evaluating patients for social determinants of health (SDOH) in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Based on this data, we believe SDOH should be incorporated into fall risk assessments.