Nutritional Status Predicts Injurious Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Does Sex Matter?

Abstract

The association of poor nutritional status with falls-related injuries other than fractures is unclear. Although there are sex differences in poor nutritional status and the rate of falls-related injuries, whether the impacts of poor nutritional status on falls-related injuries differ by sex is unclear. We investigated whether baseline poor nutritional status predicted injurious falls, fall-related minor injuries, and fractures at 3-year follow-up and whether these relationships differed by sex among community-dwelling older adults ( N = 3257). We found that being at risk of malnutrition at baseline significantly predicted injurious falls but not minor injuries and fractures at follow-up. Compared to older males at risk of malnutrition at baseline, females at risk of malnutrition were significantly more likely to have injurious falls and minor injuries later. Being at risk of malnutrition predicted injurious falls, especially among older females. Regular nutritional screenings among older females should be implemented to provide prompt interventions against falls.