The Public Health Approach to Older Adult Fall Prevention: Comments from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Unintentional falls among persons aged 65 years and older are an important public health issue, associated with significant mortality and morbidity. About one third of older adults fall annually and, although many fall outcomes are minor, between 10% and 20% cause serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury, contusions, and fractures. Therefore the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to prevent injuries and fatalities due to older adult falls. The public health approach to older adult falls focuses on prevention and is based on scientific rigor. Its steps include defining the problem, identifying causes, developing and testing interventions, and then implementing effective approaches on a large scale. We highlight current CDC activities that map onto each step of the public health model and close by providing future directions for older adult fall prevention, including improved surveillance, support for program implementation, and enhanced partnership building.