Factors associated with unintentional injuries among older adults in India using evidence from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, Wave 1

The increasing burden of unintentional injuries among older adults in India poses a serious public health concern. Understanding their magnitude and underlying determinants is essential for developing effective preventive and intervention strategies. This research aims to study the prevalence of unintentional injuries and identify factors associated with unintentional injuries among older adults in India, using the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Wave 1. The main data source is LASI, a population-based longitudinal survey. Unintentional injuries, socio-demographic profile, co-morbidity, and medical disorders were used in this study. The analysis methods include logistic regression, Chi-square analysis, and descriptive statistics. Out of the 31,902 older adults analyzed, 12.91% ( n = 4,250) reported experiencing an unintentional injury within the past two years. In the final multivariable binary logistic regression model ( n = 31,704), Urban residence was significantly associated with 29.1% lower odds of injury (AOR = 0.709, 95% CI: 0.655, 0.766) compared to rural residence. Belonging to a Scheduled Tribe was associated with 1.82 times higher odds of reporting an injury (AOR = 1.821, 95% CI: 1.091, 3.039). Female gender was associated with 13.5% lower odds of injury (AOR = 0.865, 95% CI: 0.801, 0.934). This study provides nationally representative evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of unintentional injuries among older adults in India. The results suggest the need for focused public health programs that take into account socio-demographic, geographic, and health-specific variables. These findings may help inform future public health strategies and further longitudinal research.