Older Adult Falls Reported by State
In the United States, about one in four adults (28%) age 65 and older, report falling each year. This results in about 36 million falls each year. While not all falls result in an injury, about 37% of those who fall reported an injury that required medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day, resulting in an estimated 8 million fall injuries.1
While falls are common among all states, there is variability.2,3
Data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) – https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2020.html
*Age-adjusted percentages standardized to the 2000 U.S. population with age groups 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85 years using the direct method
Note for the grayed-out states on the 2012 map: In the 2012 BRFSS survey, Michigan, Oregon, and Wisconsin used a different falls question from the rest of the states. Therefore, the 2012 falls estimates could not be calculated for these states.
References
- Moreland B, Kakara R, Henry A. Trends in Nonfatal Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2012–2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:875–881. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6927a5
- Bergen G, Stevens MR, Burns ER. Falls and Fall Injuries Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:993–998. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6537a2
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) [online].