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Health Indicator Report of Deaths due to Falls

Falls are the leading cause of death due to injury among persons 65 years and older in New Jersey.

Data Sources

  • Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
  • Population Estimates, [https://www.nj.gov/labor/lpa/dmograph/est/est_index.html State Data Center], New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Definition

Deaths with a fall-related injury as the underlying cause of death. ICD-10 codes: W00-W19

Numerator

Number of deaths due to falls

Denominator

Total number of persons in the population

Healthy People Objective: Prevent an increase in the rate of fall-related deaths: Adults aged 65 years and older

U.S. Target: 47.0 deaths per 100,000 population (age-adjusted)
State Target: is not comparable because it is based on the crude rate

Other Objectives

'''Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective OA-2''': Prevent an increase in the fall-related death rate per 100,000 persons aged 65 years and older. Targets are 25.5 among all races/ethnicities, 29.1 among Whites, 12.8 among Blacks, 12.4 among Hispanics, and 13.9 among Asians. ''Baseline data have been updated since the original targets were set, so these targets are slightly different from ones previously published.''

How Are We Doing?

The fall-related death rate among persons aged 65 and over is increasing in both the U.S. and New Jersey and no Healthy New Jersey 2020 targets were achieved. The rate among Whites is about double the rates among Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians and the rate among males is 1.4 times the rate among females.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The U.S. death rate due to falls among persons aged 65 years and older is more than double the New Jersey rate.

What Is Being Done?

Each September, the New Jersey Department of Human Services' (NJDHS) Division of Aging Services and a statewide Fall Prevention Coalition coordinate [http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/fallprev/ Fall Prevention Week] to promote awareness of the impact of falls and strategies for reducing risk. Efforts are also in place to provide people at risk for falls with opportunities to learn about prevention and practice healthy behaviors. In collaboration with community partners, the NJDHS Division of Aging Services is building statewide capacity for local delivery of evidence-based fall prevention programs such as A Matter of Balance and Project Healthy Bones. In addition, a one-hour curriculum on fall prevention is available for health educators to use for community education (training required).

Available Services

The NJ Department of Human Services' [http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/ Division of Aging Services] offers numerous services and supports, including * A Matter of Balance * Project Healthy Bones * Fall Prevention

Health Program Information

The NJDHS Division of Aging Services' [http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/healthease/ HealthEASE] program includes program coordination, as well as physical activity, health education, and coordinated screening components designed specifically for adults over the age of sixty. Components and related programs include group exercise, fall prevention education, management of concerns about falling, and bone density testing.
Page Content Updated On 10/03/2022, Published on 10/03/2022
The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Thu, 28 March 2024 17:18:02 from Department of Health, New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Web site: https://nj.gov/health/shad ".

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