Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40552840›Full record

ArticleGerontology2025

Characteristics of Falls among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The SCOPE Study.

Itshak Melzer, Ellen Freiberger, Sabine Britting, Fabrizia Lattanzio, Yehudit Melzer, Ronit Ben-Romano, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger, Gerhard Wirnsberger, Francesco Mattace-Raso, Lisanne Tap and 10 more

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Article in Gerontology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Itshak MelzerDepartment of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Ellen FreibergerDepartment of Internal Medicine-Geriatrics, Institute for Biomedicine of Aging (IBA), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany.
Sabine BrittingDepartment of Internal Medicine-Geriatrics, Institute for Biomedicine of Aging (IBA), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany.
Fabrizia LattanzioItalian National Research Center on Aging (IRCCS INRCA), Ancona, Italy.
Yehudit MelzerDepartment of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Ronit Ben-RomanoDepartment of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Regina Roller-WirnsbergerDepartment of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Gerhard WirnsbergerDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Francesco Mattace-RasoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Lisanne TapDepartment of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Pedro GilFaculty of Medicine, Département of Medicine Pza, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain.
Francesc FormigaGeriatric Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Bellvitge University Hospital - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
Rafael Moreno-GonzálezGeriatric Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Bellvitge University Hospital - IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
Tomasz KostkaDepartment of Geriatrics, Healthy Ageing Research Centre, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Agnieszka GuligowskaDepartment of Geriatrics, Healthy Ageing Research Centre, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Johan ArnlovDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Axel C CarlssonDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Paolo FabbiettiItalian National Research Center on Aging (IRCCS INRCA), Ancona, Italy.
Robert KobDepartment of Internal Medicine-Geriatrics, Institute for Biomedicine of Aging (IBA), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany.
SCOPE investigators

Funding

European Research Council 634869
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionFalls among older adults are frequent and will remain a health concern. We describe fall characteristics among older adults living independently in the community based on location, severity, and sex.

methodsAs part of the SCOPE study, fall occurrence, location, causes, circumstances, and consequences were reported by 1,754 community-dwelling older adults across Europe at baseline (F0), 12-month follow-up (FU12), and 24-month follow-up (FU24). A geriatric assessment that included demographics, clinical and medication assessment, depression, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, blood and urine examination, hand grip strength, and fear of falling was performed. Falls characteristics were described, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the probability of being severely injured because of a fall, inside or outdoors.

resultsData on falls revealed 938 falls at baseline, 773 falls at FU12, and 797 falls at FU24. Approximately 70% of these falls resulted in no injury or untreated injuries, while 8.5% led to bone fractures. Most falls (54.8%) occurred outdoors, primarily during ambulation (64.6%). About 50% of the falls were due to trips, slips, or bumping into objects, while 20.3% were due to balance and gait impairments. Women experienced falls about 30% more frequently than men.

conclusionsOur findings offer new insights into the patterns of falls by location, sex, and injury type. This may help suggest ways of preventing falls. It is reasonable to recommend that older adults train their balance and specifically balance reactive responses to a situation whenever balance is lost accidently and unexpectedly.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsIndependent LivingAgedAged, 80 and overEuropeFemaleFractures, BoneGeriatric AssessmentHumansMaleRisk FactorsCommunity-dwelling old adultsFallInjurious falls

Identifiers

PMID40552840
PMCPMC12037155

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.