Abstract
During the aging, biological factors, diseases and external causes can influence the way in which it happens. Fall is one of them and is among the changes of aging that make it fragile and susceptible to disabling events the elderly. The present work was to identify the scope extrinsic risk factors for falls in the elderly population through the national scientific production. This is a descriptive exploratory study using the framework of literature by surveying national publications contained in indexed journals in the field of public health in the period March-October 2010. In Brazil, death from external causes has occupied third place, representing 14.9% of total deaths, and the occurrence of falls occupies the first and fourth place in the morbidity and mortality rates, respectively. These declines may be caused by extrinsic factors, ie, environments that have poor lighting, uneven or slippery floors and lack of handrails for support. Urgent interventions on the part of our leaders are required introducing the issue in public policy, revision of the current care model to reduce the causes, prevent falls, reduce hospitalizations, planning actions focused on population health.