Risk factors for falls and neurocognitive disorders in the older Canadian population: a population-based study

Falls are frequent events in adults over age 65 (up to 30% each year). Neurocognitive disorders are associated with a greater risk for falls and fall-related injuries, more than twice compared to cognitively healthy individuals. The pattern of risk factors for falls and fall-related injuries associated with neurocognitive disorders are still a matter of debate. No study has yet examined risk factors for falls in the older Canadian population with neurocognitive disorders at the onset. Using baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, we will examine the patterns of risk factors for falls and fall-related injuries associated with neurocognitive disorders at the onset by 1) Examining the epidemiology of falls and fall-related injuries, and 2) Modeling the risk for falls and fall-related injuries between cognitively healthy and impaired older adults.