Continuously declining incidence of fall injuries in older adults: nationwide statistics from Finland between 1970 and 2016.

Abstract

Fall-induced injuries of older adults are a major public health issue. We assessed the current trends in the number and age-adjusted incidence (per 100,000 persons) of fall-induced injuries among older adults in Finland by taking into account all persons 80years of age or older who were admitted to Finnish hospitals for primary treatment of a first annual fall injury between 1970 and 2016. The number of hospital-treated fall injuries in older Finns increased considerably during the study period: in women, from 927 (1970) to 11,791 (2016), and in men from 212 (1970) to 4275 (2016). In both genders, the age-adjusted incidence (per 100,000 persons) of these injuries increased until the late 1990s but decreased thereafter, the incidence being 2754 (women) and 1475 (men) in 1970, and 5843 (women) and 4115 (men) in 2016. Even with the currently declining injury incidence, the absolute number of these injuries is expected to increase (about 40% by the year 2030), because the population at risk is constantly expanding. The rise in the age-adjusted incidence of hospital-treated fall injuries of 80 years and older Finnish persons from the 1970s to the late 1990s has been followed by declining injury rates. Despite this, we have to effectively continue implementation of all feasible fall prevention actions.