High incidence of falls and fall-related injuries in wheelchair users with spinal cord injury: A prospective study of risk indicators

• Published in: Journal of rehabilitation medicine Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 144 - 151
• Main Authors: Forslund, Emelie Butler, Jørgensen, Vivien, Franzén, Erika, Opheim, Arve, Seiger, Åke, Ståhle, Agneta, Hultling, Claes, Stanghelle, Johan K, Roaldsen, Kirsti Skavberg, Wahman, Kerstin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 01.02.2017
• Subjects: Aged; Data quality; Exercise; Falls; Female; Habits; Humans; Incidence; Injuries; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Multicenter studies; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Recurrent; Risk Factors; Spinal cord; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - epidemiology; Spinal Cord Injuries - rehabilitation; Wheelchairs - adverse effects
• ISSN: 1650-1977; 1651-2081; 1651-2081
• DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2177

To identify risk indicators for, and incidence of, recurrent falls and fall-related injuries in wheelchair users with traumatic spinal cord injury. Prospective multi-centre study. One hundred and forty-nine wheelchair users with spinal cord injury attending follow-up in Sweden and Norway. Inclusion criteria: wheelchair users ≥ 18 years old with traumatic spinal cord injury ≥ 1 year post-injury. individuals with motor complete injuries above C5. Falls were prospectively reported by text message every second week for one year and were followed-up by telephone interviews. Outcomes were: fall incidence, risk indicators for recurrent (> 2) falls and fall-related injuries. Independent variables were: demographic data, quality of life, risk willingness, functional independence, and exercise habits. Of the total sample (n = 149), 96 (64%) participants fell, 45 (32%) fell recurrently, 50 (34%) were injured, and 7 (5%) severely injured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that reporting recurrent falls the previous year increased the odds ratio (OR) of recurrent falls (OR 10.2, p < 0.001). Higher quality of life reduced the OR of fall-related injuries (OR 0.86, p = 0.037). Previous recurrent falls was a strong predictor of future falls. The incidence of falls, recurrent falls and fall-related injuries was high. Hence, prevention of falls and fall-related injuries is important.