Falls leading to fracture and nutrition among older adults: a case–control study

Abstract

Objectives: Injurious falls, especially those leading to bone fracture, are major causes of death and disability among older people. Our aim was to measure the association of nutritional factors and physical activity with falls leading to fracture among Iranian older adults. Methods: This is the second phase of a previously published case–control study on 300 patients and 590 controls. Results: In addition to the socio-economic factors that were reported before, our results revealed that consumption of fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts reduced the risk of falling, whereas consumption of cheese, red meat, and sweets raised the risk of falls among the participants. Conclusion: The results of our study suggested that diets rich in fish meat fruits and vegetables should be encouraged in the everyday life of older adults. We suggest health officials to take these important results into consideration when planning protective measures.