As our population ages, fall injuries in North Carolina are an increasingly serious public health issue. Falls are the third leading cause of unintentional injury death for North Carolinians of all ages, and in every year from 1999 to 2010, the number one cause of injury death for individuals 65 and older. From 2000-2011, the death rate from falls has increased 69.8 percent for all ages, and 65.9 percent in the 65 and older population.
See the Unintentional Falls Factsheet (PDF, 92 KB) for an overview of the falls problem in North Carolina. For context about fall injuries in relation to other injuries, please see the Older Adult Injury Report (PDF, 1 MB) and the 2013 Older Adult Injuries in North Carolina Fact Sheet (PDF, 160 KB). See an overview of the falls problem at the county-level (PDF, 113 KB) in comparison with other fatal and nonfatal injuires.
For fall injury prevention information, see our information for individuals and families.
The Burden of Unintentional Falls in North Carolina (2013) (PDF, 1.05 MB) provides a comprehensive data overview of the fall injury problem.
The Burden of Traumatic Brain Injuries in North Carolina, (2014) (PDF, 865 KB) estimates the role that fall injuries play in the burden of traumatic brain injury in the state.
Below are reports from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
Visit the CDC’s site on preventing falls in older adults for more information.
The North Carolina Falls Prevention Coalition is working to prevent falls by increasing awareness, providing education and training, providing tools and resources, and fostering linkages between programs and organizations working to reduce falls. Visit their site to find out what is being done to address falls in North Carolina.
For older fact sheets, please contact a member of the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch.