Psychoactive medication, alcohol use, and falls among older adults.

The purposes of this study were to determine: (1) the prevalence of psychoactive medication and alcohol use and (2) the relationship among psychoactive medications, alcohol use, and falls in a sample of 1028 independently living women and men, aged 55 and older. Twenty-six percent of the sample reported falling, 28% were taking one or more psychoactive drugs, and 38% drank alcohol during the past year. Analyses with logistic regression indicate that predictors of falls were psychoactive drug use, age, and number of illnesses. Living alone, frequency of alcohol use, and gender were not significant predictors.