Dataset Information

A Prospective Study of Back Pain and Risk of Falls Among Older Community-dwelling Women.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Back pain and falls are common health conditions among older U.S. women. The extent to which back pain is an independent risk factor for falls has not been established.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study among 6,841 community-dwelling U.S. women at least 65 years of age from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). Baseline questionnaires inquired about any back pain, pain severity, and frequency in the past year. During 1 year of follow-up, falls were summed from self-reports obtained every 4 months. Two outcomes were studied: recurrent falls (?2 falls) and any fall (?1 fall). Associations of back pain and each fall outcome were estimated with risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from multivariable log-binomial regression. Adjustments were made for age, education, smoking status, fainting history, hip pain, stroke history, vertebral fracture, and Geriatric Depression Scale.

Results

Most (61%) women reported any back pain. During follow-up, 10% had recurrent falls and 26% fell at least once. Any back pain relative to no back pain was associated with a 50% increased risk of recurrent falls (multivariable RR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.8). Multivariable RRs for recurrent falls were significantly elevated for all back pain symptoms, ranging from 1.4 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.8) for mild back pain to 1.8 (95% CI: 1.4, 2.3) for activity-limiting back pain. RRs of any fall were also significantly increased albeit smaller than those for recurrent falls.

Conclusions

Older community-dwelling women with a recent history of back pain are at increased risk for falls.

SUBMITTER: Marshall LM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4978357 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A Prospective Study of Back Pain and Risk of Falls Among Older Community-dwelling Women.

Marshall Lynn M LM Litwack-Harrison Stephanie S Cawthon Peggy M PM Kado Deborah M DM Deyo Richard A RA Makris Una E UE Carlson Hans L HL Nevitt Michael C MC

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences 20160112 9

<h4>Background</h4>Back pain and falls are common health conditions among older U.S. women. The extent to which back pain is an independent risk factor for falls has not been established.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a prospective study among 6,841 community-dwelling U.S. women at least 65 years of age from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). Baseline questionnaires inquired about any back pain, pain severity, and frequency in the past year. During 1 year of follow-up, falls were summed fr ...[more]

PMID: 26757988

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Project description:OBJECTIVE:Growing evidence suggests that older adults are at an increased risk of injurious falls when initiating antihypertensive medication, while the evidence regarding long-term use of antihypertensive medication and the risk of falling is mixed. However, long-term users who stop and start these medications may have a similar risk of falling to initial users of antihypertensive medication. Our aim was to evaluate the association between gaps in antihypertensive medication adherence and injurious falls in older (≥65 years) community-dwelling, long-term (≥≥1 year) antihypertensive users. DESIGN:Prospective cohort study. SETTING:Irish Community Pharmacy. PARTICIPANTS:Consecutive participants presenting a prescription for antihypertensive medication to 106 community pharmacies nationwide, community-dwelling, ≥65 years, with no evidence of cognitive impairment, taking antihypertensive medication for ≥1 year (n=938). MEASURES:Gaps in antihypertensive medication adherence were evaluated from linked dispensing records as the number of 5-day gaps between sequential supplies over the 12-month period prior to baseline. Injurious falls during follow-up were recorded via questionnaire during structured telephone interviews at 12 months. RESULTS:At 12 months, 8.1% (n=76) of participants reported an injurious fall requiring medical attention. The mean number of 5-day gaps in medication refill behaviour was 1.47 (SD 1.58). In adjusted, modified Poisson models, 5-day medication refill gaps at baseline were associated with a higher risk of an injurious fall during follow-up (aRR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.37, p=0.024). CONCLUSION:Each 5-day gap in antihypertensive refill adherence increased the risk of self-reported injurious falls by 18%. Gaps in antihypertensive adherence may be a marker for increased risk of injurious falls. It is unknown whether adherence-interventions will reduce subsequent risk. This finding is hypothesis generating and should be replicated in similar populations.

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Dataset Information

A Prospective Study of Back Pain and Risk of Falls Among Older Community-dwelling Women.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A Prospective Study of Back Pain and Risk of Falls Among Older Community-dwelling Women.

Similar Datasets

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