Home environmental and health‐related factors among home fallers and recurrent fallers in community dwelling older <scp>K</scp>orean women

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine home environmental and health-related factors among home fallers and recurrent fallers in community dwelling older Korean women. The study population included 438 older women aged 65 years and over. Measures included a checklist of home environments and health-related items. Risk indicators for accidental falls and recurrent falling were analysed using logistic regression. Logistic regression analysis revealed that chronic disease (odds ratio (OR) = 2.02, P = 0.007), poor night light (OR = 1.97, P = 0.032) and obstacle of door sill (OR = 1.76, P = 0.021) were predictors of accidental falls, and physical inactivity (OR = 2.34, P = 0.018) and slippery floor in the bathroom (OR = 0.41, P = 0.034) were predictors of recurrent falling. The findings have implications for strategies and suggest the need to modify home environmental context in systematic and consistent ways and the need to maintain physical activities to prevent falls and recurrent falling.