Timed Up and Go Test and Prediction of Injurious Falls among Older Adults by Sex: A Population-based Cohort Study

Abstract Background This study aimed to determine whether sex-specific timed up and go (TUG) test results can predict injurious fall occurrence in older adults and identify risk factors for injurious falls based on TUG results. Methods Data were obtained from an older adult cohort database provided by the National Health Insurance Service, which included 34,030 individuals aged 66 years or older who underwent life-transition health examinations in 2007 and 2008 and were followed up until 2019. To identify the risk factors for injurious falls, this study performed a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis by sex, with individual characteristics, including TUG test results, as independent variables. Results The TUG test predicted the occurrence of injurious falls in older adult men but not in older adult women. Among men with abnormal TUG results, those with high systolic blood pressure had a greater risk of injurious falls. In women, urinary dysfunction, hearing impairment, low BMI, high systolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose level, depressive symptoms, and bone mineral density were identified as risk factors for injurious falls—regardless of the TUG test results. The factors predictive of injurious falls according to the TUG test differed by sex. Conclusion The TUG test is useful for predicting injurious falls in older adult men. This study identified other risk factors for injurious falls among older adult women that can be used in prevention strategies.