NEW data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows that unintentional falls remain the leading cause of injury hospitalisation and death for women since 2017-18, responsible for 122,800 (57%) hospitalisations and 3,400 (58%) deaths in 2022-23.
The report, Injury among women 2022-23, looks at the main causes of injury resulting in hospitalisation and death, as well as identifying trends over time.
It also examines the nature and severity of sustained injuries, variations between population groups and circumstances surrounding the injury.
"Every year, thousands of women present to an emergency department or are hospitalised due to injury," said AIHW spokesperson Jacqueline Rek.
"Women contributed to 40% of all injury hospitalisations in 2022-23," she added.
The rate of fall injury hospitalisations increased with age.
Women aged 65 and over accounted for 73% of all fall injury hospitalisations and almost all fall-related deaths (97%) among women in 2022-23.
"Over half of all injury deaths (57%) were due to falls among women aged 65 and over," Rek said, adding that the rate of death from falls in this age group was 66.5 times higher than for women aged from 40 to 64.
Fractures were the most common type of injury hospitalisation across all age groups and the leading type of injury for emergency department presentations among women.
Fractures of the hips or lower limbs were most common, causing 27,000 hospitalisations in 2022-23.
Research indicates that medications contribute to 10-25% of these falls through various mechanisms, including polypharmacy, and regular medication reviews can help to reduce falls risk.
The report is HERE. KB
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