publications

S. Irudaya Rajan & Yamuna Devi A.

Falls among elderly are a major public health issue with devastating outcomes. Several risk factors are identified with falls among elderly. Injuries as a result of falls are mostly associated with disability, loss of independence, and increased mortality among aged. The risk doubles or triples with the history of previous falls. It is a prevailing issue among the elderly, which is associated with social isolation and multiple diseases. Against this backdrop, data from the Kerala Ageing Survey, a longitudinal aging survey conducted for Centre for Development Studies, this chapter will discuss the prevalence and the determining factors of falls among aged in Kerala. Falls among aged in Kerala has increased over years, and moderately high rate of falls is observed among females and elderly who aged 70 and above years. Further, age and gender in elderly who have multiple morbidity and disability were the strong determinants of falls among aged. Therefore, these groups of aged may be in most need of interventions to reduce both the risk and the severity of falls.