Risk Factors for Fall-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review Highlighting Research Gaps

Albert K. Okrah, Shafer Tharrington, Isaac Shin, Aaron Wagoner, Katelyn S. Woodsmall and Deborah A. Jehu ()
Additional contact information
Albert K. Okrah: Department of Community & Behavioral Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
Shafer Tharrington: Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library, College of Allied Health Sciences, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30901, USA
Isaac Shin: Department of Community & Behavioral Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
Aaron Wagoner: Department of Community & Behavioral Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
Katelyn S. Woodsmall: Department of Community & Behavioral Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
Deborah A. Jehu: Department of Community & Behavioral Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is commonly undiagnosed, delaying treatment and recovery. Approximately 80% of mTBIs in older adults stem from falls, yet the predictive factors remain unclear. This systematic review aimed to examine the risk factors for fall-related mTBIs among older adults. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol and the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines were followed (Prospero ID: CRD42023377847). The scope included prospective studies analyzing the risk factors for fall-related mTBIs in adults ≥ 60 years. The primary outcome measure was the relative risk for fall-related mTBIs, and the secondary outcomes were fall rate, total falls, and faller/non-faller count among those with and without an mTBI. CINAHL Plus, Health Source: Nursing Academic Edition, Nursing and Allied Health Database, Medline via PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched on 4 November 2022 and 31 May 2024. Additional electronic searches were conducted. Two authors planned to screen the articles and assess the quality and risk of bias, with a third author adjudicating disagreements. Results were to be presented in a narrative synthesis. The database search yielded 434 records; 410 titles and abstracts were screened after deduplication, and 71 reports underwent a full-text review. No prospective observational studies were eligible because they did not fulfil the following: (1) focus on an mTBI (46 records); (2) exclusively assess individuals aged ≥60 (20 records); or (3) examine falls (5 records). Given the devastating consequences of fall-related mTBIs among older adults, there is an urgent need to identify the risk factors to improve screening and intervention.

Keywords: brain concussion; brain injuries; head injury; accidental falls; fall risk; aged; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/2/255/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/2/255/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:2:p:255-:d:1588921

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().