Incidence and Estimation of Socioeconomic Costs Associated with Falls among Elderly in Rural Areas of Korea

This study was done to delineate the incidence and the socioeconomic cost associated with fall-related injuries in the rural elderly population. From February 1, 2010 to March 31, 2010, a questionnaire-based interview survey was conducted on 2,295 elderly people aged 65-years or older residing in rural communities: one township and one village of Gyoengsangnam-do (province). Of the 2,295 subjects, 735 (32.0%) had suffered from fall-related injuries during the past year. The direct cost of these injuries was calculated to be 596,466,000 won (56.6%). The direct costs included medical costs covered by health insurance and those not covered by insurance. The indirect cost was 458,081,000 won (43.4%). Of the indirect cost, loss of productivity was 274,993,000 won, health functional foods were 65,531,100 won, nursing care was 48,755,000 won and transportation was 43,122,000 won. The total socioeconomic costs (direct costs + indirect costs) of the study subjects were 1,054,547,000 Won. When the above-calculated socioeconomic costs for the 2,295 subjects were applied to the 1,067,262 Korean rural elderly population in 2009, the socioeconomic costs attributable to fall-related injuries were estimated to be 343,614,988,000 won.