Fall risk in relation to strength training, walking, and sitting among women aged 75-105 years: a cross-sectional study within the Women's Health Initiative Strong and Healthy (WHISH) Intervention Cohort.

Background: Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury death among older women in the United States. The Women's Health Initiative Strong and Healthy ( Methods: We analyzed data from 8,915 women aged 75-105 years (mean age 84.9 ± 5.1 years; 49.6% ≥85 years) randomly assigned to a PA intervention in the Results: Mean age was 84.9 years, with 49.6% of participants aged ≥ 85 years. FR-ABC classification was 35.1% overall, 22.7% for women aged 75-84 and 47.4% for women aged ≥ 85 years. Overall, strength training ≥ 2 hours per week was associated with a 34% FR-ABC risk reduction (RR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.61-0.71); walking ≥ 4.25 hours/week with a 70% FR-ABC risk reduction (RR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.27-0.33); while, sitting ≥ 8 hours/day was associated with a 41% increased FR-ABC risk (RR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.33-1.49). High PF (score ≥ 90) was associated with a 91% FR-ABC risk reduction (p < 0.001). Conclusion: More strength training and walking, lower sitting time, and higher PF were strongly associated with reduced fall risk classification among women aged 75 years and older. Although these associations were more pronounced among women aged 75-84 year, it was also true for women aged 85 and over. Fall risk prevention should emphasize each of these PA factors.