Guarding against deadly falls.

• Position: Your Life - Brief Article

Americans have much room for improvement when it comes to preventing falls that cause serious injuries or death, a study by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Injury Prevention Research Center staff concludes. "We found that 70% of U.S. households have stairs with four or more steps, but a third of households have at least one set of stairs with no railing," notes Stephen W. Marshall, assistant professor of epidemiology and orthopedics at the Schools of Public Health and Medicine. "Only 25% of homes have grab bars and handrails in the bathroom, and only 25% use window guards or locking devices that could prevent children from falling out."

"We compared households with different demographic and home structure characteristics, determining that fall hazards are prevalent in many types of households, and use of fall prevention devices is limited," Marshall explains. "Clearly, there is ample opportunity to increase the...