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The objective is to determine the risk factorspredictors of falls in institutionalized elderlypeople. Methodology: Analysis of data from alongitudinal cohort study. Subjects: Institutionalizedelderly volunteers residents of a nursinghome in Arbelaez, Colombia enrolled andfollowed for six months (N= 116; mean age: 78years). Main outcome measures: Falls detected via nurses reports and medical records. Independentvariables: Baseline measures of demographics,medical history, drug intake, depression, mentalstate, visual acuity, orthostatic hypotension,body mass index, cardiovascular state, limbdeformities, limb strength, tone, trophism, rageof motion, Romberg, one leg balance test, GetUp and Go test and timed Get Up and Go test.Evaluation of home facilities by the TESS-NHand SCUEQS scales. Results: Over the six monthfollow-up 36% experienced a fall. All noneinjurious falls. The independent significantpredictors of all falls using logistic regression were female gender, history of dizziness and anabnormal one leg balance test. With coefficientB values of 1.029, 2.024 and 1.712, respectively.Conclusion: The female gender, the history ofdizziness and abnormal one-leg balance testappear to be the main and significant predictorsof falls in institutionalized elderly persons.However, no single factor seems to be accurateenough to be relied on as a sole predictor of fallrisk because so many diverse factors are involvedin falling