Sex Differences and Determinants of Late-Life Falls in China: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the CHARLS Dataset.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey analysis
PubMed 41296647 · doi:10.1159/000549680
What was done
Researchers analyzed cross-sectional data from 9,284 adults aged 45 and older from the fifth wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The study assessed fall prevalence, evaluated associated factors stratified by sex using logistic regression analysis, and examined interactions between covariates and sex.
What was found
Overall fall prevalence was 20.1%, with 23.12% in females and 14.99% in males (p < 0.001). Age, self-perceived health, mental health, sleep duration, alcohol consumption, social activity, bodily pain, and number of chronic diseases were correlated with falls in both sexes (p < 0.05), with no significant interaction (p > 0.050). Age over 80 years and having a chronic disease were significantly associated with falls in men (p < 0.05) but not in women (p = 0.163). Depression correlated more strongly with falls in females than males (p < 0.001). Alcohol consumption was associated with higher fall prevalence in females (p < 0.05). Social activity correlated with falls in females (p = 0.002) but not males (p = 0.738). Odds ratios and confidence intervals were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
The study highlights that fall risk factors differ by sex among older adults in China. These findings suggest that public health fall-prevention interventions should account for sex-specific determinants.
Limits
The study design is cross-sectional, preventing causal inference. Measures relied on self-reported survey responses subject to recall bias. Point estimates such as odds ratios and confidence intervals were omitted from the abstract.
Cited by
- contradicts In cultures where people routinely toilet, sleep, and eat on the ground, fall risk in the elderly drops to almost zero.