WCM-Q study identifies gaps in research on falls among older adults in the MENA region

A new study by experts from the Institute for Population Health (IPH) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) has revealed major gaps in research on falls among older adults in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Unintentional falls are a leading cause of injury and death among older adults. Despite this, the availability, scope and geographic distribution of epidemiological evidence on fall-related outcomes in the MENA region remain poorly characterized, limiting policy development and prevention efforts.

Published in BMJ Global Health, the IPH study provides the first comprehensive mapping of observational epidemiological evidence on fall-related outcomes across the MENA region.

The study, titled “An evidence gap map of fall-related outcomes among older adults in the Middle East and North Africa region,” was authored by Dr. Ravinder Mamtani, professor of population health sciences, vice dean for population health and lifestyle medicine, and professor of medicine at the Center for Global Health; Dr. Sohaila Cheema, associate professor of clinical population health sciences and assistant dean for the IPH; Dr. Karima Chaabna, manager of population health research; Anupama Jithesh, research projects coordinator; Salina Khawaja, former projects coordinator; and Jasmine Aboughanem, former research assistant.

In the paper, the researchers identified 203 primary studies reporting on fall prevalence, frequency, risk and fear of falling, self-reported perceived reasons for falling and postfall consequences among 424,000 adults aged 60 and older in the MENA region.

The evidence gap map highlights substantial data gaps across several countries, with marked underrepresentation of rural, low-income and conflict-affected settings, and limited evidence on key fall-related outcomes such as fear of falling and self-reported perceived reasons for falling, both critical for designing effective prevention strategies.

The research builds on an earlier study published by the team in the Journal of Global Health in March 2025, titled “The epidemiology of unintentional falls among older people in the Middle East and North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” While the earlier study quantified the burden of falls and provided regional epidemiological estimates of falls, the new evidence gap map offers a comprehensive overview of where evidence is available, where it is lacking, and which populations, settings, and outcomes require greater research attention.

The findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen regional data systems across the region through standardized, context-specific surveillance, including the integration of fall indicators into national surveys and hospital-based registries. The authors also recommend collecting data in regional languages to improve accessibility and cross-country comparability. Addressing these gaps will support the development of effective, equitable and locally relevant fall prevention policies and intervention across the MENA region.

Together, these studies are part of a broader IPH research project focused on falls among older adults in the MENA region. The project aims to generate robust region-specific evidence on the burden, distribution, consequences, risk factors, and research gaps associated with falls, ultimately supporting stronger surveillance systems, targeted prevention strategies, and evidence-informed policies that promote healthy ageing across the region.

The studies are available at: https://gh.bmj.com/content/11/6/e018999 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11907375/