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Epidemiology

Western University

2021

Older adults

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Full-Text Articles in Public Health

Descriptive Analysis Of Fall-Related Injuries Among Older Adults In Ontario, Nicolette Lappan Jun 2021

Descriptive Analysis Of Fall-Related Injuries Among Older Adults In Ontario, Nicolette Lappan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among older adults in Canada. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of older adults who experienced fall-related injuries (FRIs) and the types of falls that caused them. We analyzed Ontario-wide secondary data from three databases (NACRS, DAD, RPDB) covering 2010-2014. Older adults (≥ 65 years) who visited emergency departments (ED) with FRIs were selected using ICD-10-CA codes for a fall and injury. Counts, measures of central tendency, and prevalence rates (crude, age- and sex-specific, age-standardized) were calculated. There were 304,610 (63.0% females) ED admissions (3,089 per 100,000 population) …


Fall Risk-Increasing Drugs And Gait Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results From The Gait And Brain Study, Abdelhady Osman Jun 2021

Fall Risk-Increasing Drugs And Gait Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results From The Gait And Brain Study, Abdelhady Osman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Medication use and gait impairment are two of the most important risk factors for falls. Several drug classes have been classified as fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). Gait is an important marker of overall health and independence in older adults. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between FRIDs and gait performance in older adults through two studies. Firstly, our systematic review of twenty studies on the association between FRIDs and gait performance found that the use of drugs with sedative properties is associated with reduced gait speed. Secondly, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from …