Prevalence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling adults in Riyadh area

Objectives This study aimed to assess fall prevalence, identify related risk factors, and establish cut-off scores for fall risk measures among community-dwelling adults in Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in community, Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A sample of 276 Saudi citizens aged ≥40 years who were able to read and write in Arabic. Fall history and number of falls in the past 12 months were determined via self-reports. Variables assessed included demographic information, self-reported chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, and back pain severity. Results Participants were classified as either fallers (n = 28, 10.14%) or non-fallers. Fallers were more likely to have arthritis (odds ratio [OR]: 7.60, p = 0.001), back pain (OR: 5.22, p = 0.002), and higher depressive symptom scores (OR: 1.09, p = 0.013) than non-fallers. The number of reported falls was significantly associated with an elevated body mass index (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.09, p = 0.045), arthritis (IRR: 8.74, p