Letter from the Editor

摘要

Falls among the elderly is a growing public health concern of global proportions. They are a major cause of injury, disability, health care utilization, and, in the most tragic cases, loss of life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), falls are the leading cause of injury mortality worldwide, accounting for one-third of unintentional injury deaths among adults ages 60 years and older. In the North American region alone, falls account for 43% of the total number of injury deaths in this age group (WHO, 2011). Particularly alarming is the fact that in the United States, for example, the fall mortality rates have dramatically increased in the first decade of this century - a 62% increase from 1999 to 2008 in fall mortality rates in adults ages 60 years and older (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011).