Lack of fitness, inactivity linked to walking falls

Am J Prev Med. 2010;39;15-24. [July 2010]

Poor physical fitness and physical inactivity may increase the risk of falls while walking, particularly in men, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh. They analyzed data from 10,615 participants-aged 20 to 87-participating in a longitudinal study who answered questions about falls on a 1990 survey. The researchers found that 20 percent reported falling in the previous year; of these, 15 percent fell while walking. Men and women with a low level of fitness were more likely to fall while walking than their counterparts who were highly fit. In multivariate analysis, falls related to walking were associated with low fitness levels and physical inactivity in men, but not in women.