Combinations of initial fall direction and landing configuration, with corresponding number of falls and probabilities for head impact
| Initial fall direction; landing configuration | No. (%) of falls | OR† (95%CI) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Head impact* | No head impact* | ||
| Forward,n= 60 | ||||
| Forward | 32 (53) | 19 (59) | 13 (41) | NA |
| Backward | 8 (13) | 4 (50) | 4 (50) | 0.7 (0.1–3.6) |
| Sideways | 20 (33) | 12 (60) | 8 (40) | 1.1 (0.3–3.4) |
| Backward,n= 79 | ||||
| Forward | –‡ | |||
| Backward | 71 (90) | 24 (34) | 47 (66) | NA |
| Sideways | 8 (10) | 3 (37) | 5 (63) | 1.1 (0.2–5.6) |
| Sideways,n= 59 | ||||
| Forward | 5 (8) | 1 (20) | 4 (80) | 0.3 (0.03–3.0) |
| Backward | 21 (36) | 3 (14) | 18 (86) | 0.2 (0.04–0.8) |
| Sideways | 33 (56) | 16 (49) | 17 (51) | NA |
| Straight down,n= 19 | ||||
| Forward | –§ | |||
| Backward | 15 (79) | 2 (13) | 13 (87) | –§ |
| Sideways | 4 (21) | 1 (25) | 3 (75) | –§ |
Note: CI = confidence interval, NA = not applicable, OR = odds ratio.
↵* Percentages in this column are based on row totals.
↵† Odds ratios and 95% CIs show the effect on probability for head impact of changes in fall direction versus landing in the same configuration as the initial fall direction.
↵‡ We were unable to calculate an OR for backward to forward (owing to 0 cases).
↵§ We were unable to calculate ORs for falls initially directed straight down, because a straight down landing configuration was not included as an option in our questionnaire.