Frequency and characteristics of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling among wheelchair users with spinal cord injury

Context/objective To investigate the frequency and characteristics of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling (FOF) among non-ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods This is a cross-sectional study design that included 59 non-ambulatory individuals with SCI. Participants completed a survey on demographics, SCI characteristics (type of injury, level of injury, and time since injury), FOF, activities curtailment due to FOF, and frequency of falls and fall-related injuries in the past 6 months. Characteristics of the most recent falls and fall-related injuries were also collected. A directed content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results Overall, 63% of the study participants reported falling at least once, 46.7% reported injuries after falls, and 73% reported FOF during the previous 6 months. Participants commonly reported falling inside of the house (74.6%), during transfers (43.2%), and associated with obstacles on the way (54.5%) or surface conditions (36.4%). Almost half of the participants (42.3%) reported never received education on fall prevention from a healthcare professional. Conclusions The results confirm that falls, fall-related injuries, and FOF are a common concern in this population. These findings contribute to the knowledge base for the future development of fall prevention programs specific for non-ambulatory individuals with SCI.