ArticlePloS one2018
Should prevention of falls start earlier? Co-ordinated analyses of harmonised data on falls in middle-aged adults across four population-based cohort studies.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of combined protein and exercise interventions on bone health in middle-aged and older adults - A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Physical Activity Interventions on Strength, Balance and Falls in Middle-Aged Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2023Pooled it
- Inertial Sensor Reliability and Validity for Static and Dynamic Balance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Pooled it
- A comprehensive assessment of risk factors for falls in middle-aged adults: co-ordinated analyses of cohort studies in four countries.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2019Pooled it
- Young, but not in the dark-The influence of reduced lighting on gait stability in middle-aged adults.PloS one · 2023Trial
- Associations of Midlife Gait Speed and Muscle Performance With Falls in Later Life: Secondary Analysis of the MIDUS Cohort.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Association Between Eyes-Open One-Leg Standing Time and Previous-Year Fall History Among Employees Aged 50-65 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of frailty, sarcopenia and falls · 2026Article
- Statistical methods for retrospective harmonization of longitudinal epidemiological data: a scoping review.European journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Article
- The lived-experiences and recommendations of older Black Canadians regarding community-based fall prevention exercise programs: a qualitative study.The Gerontologist · 2026Article
- Differential associations of sleep duration, sleep disturbance and falls among middle-aged and older adults with and without cardiovascular disease status: results from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Article
- Grip strength but not stair climb power is associated with injurious falls in middle-aged and older women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).Archives of osteoporosis · 2026Article
- Evaluation of physical exercises to assess weaknesses in physical abilities related to fall risk among adults in different ages.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Risk factors associated with injurious falls on snow or ice: results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.Innovation in aging · 2026Article
- The association between mobility and a cognitive measure of attention and processing speed in middle-aged adults: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- NONAN GaitPrint: An IMU gait database of healthy middle-aged adults.Scientific data · 2025Article
- Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Maximize Hip Abductor Strength and Reduce Fall Risk in Older Veterans: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Smartphone-Based Analysis for Early Detection of Aging Impact on Gait and Stair Negotiation: A Cross-Sectional Study.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Socioeconomic position across the life course and falls among middle- and older-aged adults: protocol for a systematic review.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about balance among adults in the United States.SAGE open medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The prevalence of risk factors for falls increases during middle-age, but the prevalence of falls in this age-range is often overlooked and understudied. The aim was to calculate the prevalence of falls in middle-aged adults (aged 40-64 years) from four countries. Data were from four population-based cohort studies from Australia (Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, n = 10556, 100% women, 51-58 years in 2004), Ireland (The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, n = 4968, 57.5% women, 40-64 years in 2010), the Netherlands (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, n = 862, 51.6% women, 55-64 years in 2012-13) and Great Britain (MRC National Survey of Health and Development, n = 2821, 50.9% women, 53 years in 1999). In each study, falls assessment was based on recall of any falls in the past year. The prevalence of falls was calculated for the total group, for each country, for men and women separately, and for 5-year age-bands. The prevalence was higher in Australia (27.8%, women only) and the Netherlands (25.1%) than in Ireland (17.6%) and Great Britain (17.8%, p<0.001). Women (27.0%) had higher prevalences than men (15.2%, p<0.001). The prevalence increased from 8.7% in 40-44 year olds to 29.9% in 60-64 year olds in women, and from 14.7% in 45-49 year olds to 15.7% in 60-64 year olds in men. Even within 5-year age-bands, there was substantial variation in prevalence between the four cohorts. Weighting for age, sex and education changed the prevalence estimates by less than 2 percentage points. The sharp increase in prevalence of falls in middle-age, particularly among women supports the notion that falls are not just a problem of old age, and that middle-age may be a critical life stage for preventive interventions.
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Registered trials
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