Doha, July 28 (QNA): A new study by experts from the Institute for Population Health (IPH) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) has identified significant gaps in research on falls among older adults across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), underscoring the need for stronger data collection and prevention strategies.
Published in BMJ Global Health, the study is the first comprehensive review of observational epidemiological evidence on fall-related outcomes in the region. Researchers found that limited data availability, uneven geographic coverage and inconsistent research have hindered the development of effective public health policies and fall prevention programmes.
The review examined 203 primary studies involving more than 424,000 adults aged 60 years and older across the MENA region. It assessed fall prevalence, frequency, risk factors, fear of falling, perceived causes and post-fall consequences.
Researchers identified major evidence gaps, particularly in rural, low-income and conflict-affected areas, as well as limited research on fear of falling and self-reported reasons for falls, both considered essential for designing targeted prevention measures.
The study called for strengthened regional surveillance systems through standardized and context-specific data collection, including the integration of fall indicators into national health surveys and hospital registries. It also recommended collecting information in regional languages to improve accessibility and cross-country comparisons.
The research forms part of a broader IPH initiative aimed at generating region-specific evidence to support healthier ageing and evidence-based fall prevention policies across the MENA region.