Falls and Fall-Related Injuries among Adults aged =65 Years with Diabetes, United States, 2016

Older adults are at increased risk of unintentional falls and fall-related injuries. Chronic diseases like diabetes are also common among older adults. Older diabetic adults are at increased risk for falls partly due to diabetes-related complications and medication side effects. We analyzed 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data from 50 states, District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories to assess the risk of falling (percentage of older adults with self-reported falls and injurious falls) among 34,462 older adults aged ≥65 years with diabetes. We also examined the risk of falling by selected self-reported fall risk factors—sex, bodyweight, general health status, and comorbid conditions (history of stroke, visual impairment, arthritis, depression, difficulty walking or climbing stairs). Among older diabetic adults, 35.5% reported falling one or more times in the past 12 months; of those, 38.7% suffered injuries from falls. Compared to their counterparts without salient risk factors stated above, older diabetic adults with selected characteristics were significantly more likely to fall (all p values < 0.001) (Table). Of eight risk factors under study, those with poor health, depression, and difficulty walking or climbing stairs had highest risk of falling. Understanding the role of potential risk factors is crucial for fall prevention in older adults with diabetes.