[Epidemiologic characteristics of fall in the elderly in urban and rural areas in Shanghai].

A total of 3,386 elderly individuals were surveyed in urban Shanghai, revealing a fall incidence of 13.0%.

• In urban areas, 441 elderly experienced falls, with 261 sustaining injuries, while in rural areas, 320 fell and 169 were injured.
• Women showed a higher fall risk than men in both urban (1.62 times) and rural (1.16 times) settings.
• Fall risk and fall-related injury risk were lower in rural areas compared to urban areas, with ratios of 0.86 and 0.74, respectively.
• Falls predominantly occurred at home, with urban falls more common on stairs and rural falls during farming activities.
• Over 60% of falls were associated with environmental risk factors, primarily slippery and uneven ground.
• The incidence of fractures from falls was notably high, with 89 cases in urban areas (28.2%) and 64 cases in rural areas (36.1%).

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