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• Injury From Falls in Different Populations
• Injury From Falls in Different Settings
• Intervention Strategies

Injuries from falls are the leading cause of unintentional death among individuals 65 years of age or older as well as a significant cause of injury and disability among children.  Common injuries resulting from falls include open wounds, osteopathic fractures (e.g., hip, spine and forearm fractures), brain injury and sometimes death. 

Prevention of injuries from falls and the reduction of the severity of injuries from falls may be achieved by increasing individual and community knowledge and skills regarding the potential and prevention of falls (e.g., regular physical activity, supervision of children on playground equipment, use of safety gates and handrails).  Increases in social support (e.g., participation in group exercise classes, sharing of strategies for overcoming challenges to safety, support for increased physical activity) may contribute to a change in the accepted norms within your community.  Creating healthy places and practices (e.g., installing handrails and window guards, improving indoor and outdoor walking surfaces, providing adequate health insurance for repeated falls in older adults, training employees in fall prevention) may also serve to prevent injuries from falls and to reduce their severity.  Specific intervention strategies, tools and resources to address commonly associated risk factors and prevent or reduce injuries from falls are provided in the Injuries From Falls Intervention MICA.  Another related Intervention MICA topic is:

• Physical Activity

Several resources are available to guide you in preventing and reducing injuries from falls and to improve environmental conditions in your community (e.g., educational campaigns, provider training, safety devices, safety standards):   

• Department of Health and Senior Services
  http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Injuries_in_Missouri/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/preventadultfalls.htm, and
• National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/traumafall.html
• National Safety Council
  http://www.nsc.org/issues/fallstop.htm
• Injury From Falls MICA Tools and Resources