Abstract:
Aim This study investigated whether hospitalised fall-related injuries among young and middle-aged adults were associated with short term effects of alcohol intake, marijuana use and sleep deprivation. Method A case-crossover design was used to study 690 adults (aged 20 to 64 years) admitted to public hospitals within 48 hours of a fall related injury, occurring at home, in three regions of New Zealand during August 2008 to December 2009. A matched-pair interval method of analysis was used to compare alcohol intake, marijuana use and sleep deprivation before the event with similar information in two control periods: 24 hours-before and one week-before the time of injury. Results After adjustment for other paired exposures, the estimated risk of injury was substantially higher after consuming alcohol within the preceding six hours, with a dose response gradient. After adjusting for confounding variables, the data did not support a significantly elevated risk of fall-related injury associated with sleep deprivation (<6 hours sleep in the preceding 24 hours), or marijuana use in the preceding three hours. Conclusion The findings support the expansion of efforts to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol intake in the home environment.
