KINE 4565 Injuries related to falls October 17, 2006

This week Falls: Burden Risk Factors Interventions Student presentations What are the implications for prevention?

How do we approach falls prevention? 1.First we select a type of injury or a population at risk -children -adults occupational -adults recreational -older people

2. What is the burden of injury What is the burden of injury? Falls account for 8% of injury deaths in the US 11,275 deaths in % classified as unintentional 1 in 20 US population visits ED for a fall injury each year -in other populations -one third of fall-related deaths involve older people, etc

3. What are the risk factors? Think of the Haddon matrix Are there factors associated with: -the individual (host) Alcohol, risk taking behaviour -the agent -the environment? Surfacing, housing design

4. Modifiable risk factors What is the potential for changing the risk factors? E.g can change housing design, but not cognitive impairment How acceptable are the changes going to be? -will older people wear hip protectors? How can an older person living alone call for help

5. Can they be modified using the 3 ‘Es” of injury prevention Education: Tell people about the risk Engineering: Make workplaces, homes, playgrounds safer Enforcement: Make laws that require people to comply

Close Presentations Lauren Richard

7. Pulling it all together If you were put in charge of reducing falls, what would you do? -for children -for adults -for older people