Abstract

Background: Falls among the elderly represent a significant public health challenge, substantially impacting morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditures. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of fall patterns and associated risk factors among the elderly population in South Korea. Methods: Data from the 2021 Korean Community Health Survey, including 71,734 participants aged 65 and older, were analyzed using a zeroinflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model to simultaneously model the occurrence and frequency of falls. Results: Approximately 16.73% of participants experienced at least one fall-related injury in the past year. Advancing age (1.7% for each one-year increase), male (19.2% versus female), no formal education (11% to 19% versus elementary to junior high school graduate), poverty (23.8%), poor (86.2%) or fair (17.0%) self-rated health, diabetes mellitus (29.7%), underweight (17.7%), and obese (13.6%) were significantly associated with higher incidence rate of recurrent falls. Conclusions: This study highlights the complex interplay of sociodemographic and health-related factors in fall risk among the elderly. The findings underscore the importance of multifaceted fall prevention strategies that consider both individual and societal factors, particularly targeting high-risk groups such as the oldest old, those with lower socioeconomic status, and individuals with chronic diseases.