Ethnic Differences in Fall Risk Among Community-Dwelling Older People in the Netherlands

Objective: This study measures the prevalence of falls and fear of falling among a population sample aged ≥65 years from different ethnic minorities living in the Netherlands, and examines whether ethnicity contributed to the differences in fall risk. Method: We analyzed data from 8,892 Dutch, Moroccan, Turkish, and Surinamese participants. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses were conducted with falls and fear of falling as the dependent variable and ethnicity as the independent variable. Results: Moroccan, Turkish, and Surinamese older adults had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for fear of falling than their Dutch counterparts (OR = 2.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.05, 4.31]; OR = 2.09, 95% CI = [1.07, 4.09]; and OR = 2.49, 95% CI = [1.53, 4.03], respectively). The association between ethnicity and falling disappeared after controlling for socio-demographic and health characteristics. Discussion: Dutch minority older adults were at higher risk for fear of falling than their Dutch counterparts. The study underlines the need for targeting culture-sensitive interventions.