Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal associations between mental health and lifestyle factors with falls among rural South Africans in the Agincourt sub-district in Mpumalanga province. We analysed longitudinal data from two consecutive waves of the Health and Ageing in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI), comprising 5 059 participants at baseline in 2014/2015 and 4 176 participants at follow-up in 2018/2019. The 2018/2019 survey included data on fall history. The mean age of the participants at baseline was 62.4 years (SD = 13.1 years). The prevalence of subsequent falls was 3.3% and associated with older age, short sleep, persistent depressive symptoms and low hand grip strength. Other fall incident-related factors are sedentary behaviour, functional disability and restless sleep. Those self-reporting physical activity had a lower risk for falls. Fall prevention programmes with rural living and ageing South Africans should target modifiable factors of short sleep, depressive symptoms and sedentary behaviour.
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