Changes in the epidemiology of fall-related injuries in a high-income developing country

Abstract

Background: Falls in the Gulf countries are the second most common cause of injuries. The United Arab Emirates government implemented various preventive measures to decrease injuries in the country. We aimed to evaluate the changes that occurred in the epidemiology of fall-related injuries in Al-Ain City that occurred over the last decade.Methods: Data of hospitalized patients who were presented with fall-related injuries to the Al-Ain Hospital during the two periods of March 2003 to March 2006 and January 2014 to December 2017 were compared. This included patients’ demographics, mechanism, location, anatomical distribution and parameters related to injury severity. Non-parametric tests were used for the statistical analysis.Results: Eight-hundred-eighty-two patients in the first period and 1358 patients in the second period were studied. The incidence of falls decreased by 30.5% over ten years. The number of elderly, female patients and UAE nationals increased, p < 0.001, p = 0.004, and p < 0.001, respectively. Falls from height decreased by 32.5% (p < 0.001) while fall on the same level increased by 22.5% (p < 0.001). Fall-related injuries at home has increased significantly by 22.6% (p <0.001) while falls in workplaces decreased by 24.4% (p <0.001). Conclusions: Our study showed that the overall incidence of falls decreased compared to a decade ago. The preventive measures were effective in reducing falls from height and workplace injuries. Current preventive measures should target falls at the same level and at homes.