Active Older Veterans and Fall Injury Study by Geoffrey Hoffman, PhD

Geoffrey Hoffman, PhD,  a professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing discusses the data about older veterans, activity level and fall injury stats.  

Physically active U.S. veterans are more likely to fall but less likely to get hurt when they do, compared with inactive older adults who didn't serve in the military, a new study finds.  Researchers analyzed 2006-2015 data from nearly 12,000 veterans and nearly 37,000 others. Compared to non-veterans, vets had 11% more falls that didn't result in injuries, but 28% fewer falls that did, the study revealed.

The risk of falls increased more with age for vets than for others, but physical activity was more protective against non-injury falls for veterans, according to the study published recently in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.  Dr. Hoffman talks about the research and its meaning with host Jim Fausone.