1C.003 Public health policy and falls prevention among older people in the community

Abstract

Background Globally, falls are a leading cause of injury, hospitalisation, disability and death among older people, especially those living in private homes. Public health policy can be a successful population level strategy for injury prevention, however there is a lack of evidence of its impact on incidence rates of falls-related hospitalisations or deaths. Methods A policy analysis was conducted through a systematic literature review of effectiveness of international public health policy on falls prevention in the community by government jurisdictions for the period 2007 to 2019, using the World Health Organization’s 2007 Global Report on Falls in Older Age as a starting point. Falls prevention policy documents were systematically identified via literature databases and government websites, and were included if they focussed on community-dwelling older people, and if they indicated pre- and post-policy incidence rates of falls-related hospitalisations or deaths. Results This presentation will provide a synthesis of evidence of the effectiveness of public health policy interventions on falls prevention in the community to stimulate audience conversation and insight into international examples of falls prevention policy. The synthesis will be thematic and narrative. Conclusions Public health policy is an important population level intervention for falls prevention in the community, however its impact on incidence rates of falls-related hospitalisations and deaths is variable. Learning Outcomes This presentation will allow insights into international policy approaches to falls prevention in the community which may inform future government policy efforts.