Self-reported preclinical mobility limitation and fall history as predictors of future falls in older women: prospective cohort study

Abstract

Summary

We studied if self-reported preclinical mobility limitation, described as modification of task performance without perception of difficulty, predicts future falls in older women with and without fall history. Our results suggest that combined measure of self-reported preclinical mobility limitation and fall history may offer one possibility for inexpensive fall-risk evaluation in clinical practice.

Introduction

We studied if self-reported preclinical mobility limitation predicts future falls in older women with and without fall history.

Methods

The study population consisted of 428 community-living 63–76-year-old women. At baseline, those who expressed no difficulty walking 2 km but reported that it took longer than before or that they did it less often were categorized as having preclinical mobility limitation. Those reporting difficulty in 2-km walk were categorized as having manifest mobility limitation. Fall history was recalled for previous 12 months and dichotomized. The incidence of future falls over 12 months was followed up with fall calendars.

Results

During the fall follow-up, a total of 440 falls were reported by 201 participants. Among those with fall history, women with preclinical mobility limitation had almost 4-fold (incidence rate ratios 3.77; 95% CI 1.02–13.92) and those with manifest mobility limitation almost 15-fold (14.66; 2.72–79.00) adjusted risk for future falls compared to those with no mobility limitation and no previous falls. Among women without fall history, preclinical and manifest mobility limitation did not predict future falls nor did fall history without mobility limitation.

Conclusions

Already, early signs of mobility decline with history of falls increase the risk of further falls and should be considered as indications for fall prevention interventions.