Experiences of the Built Environment, Falls and Fear of Falling Outdoors among Older Adults: An Exploratory Study and Future Directions (2020)

View/ Open
Type of Content
Journal ArticlePublisher
MDPI AGISSN
1660-4601Language
EnglishAbstract
Falls can have serious impacts on the health, wellbeing and daily mobilities of older adults. Falls are a leading cause of injury and death amongst older adults and outdoor falls comprise a substantial proportion of pedestrian injuries. As well as physical injuries, the psychological impacts of experiencing a fall can result in older adults getting out of the house less often, resulting in lower levels of physical activity and social connection. Despite the known consequences of falls, relatively little research considers the impact of the urban built environment on falls among older adults. This research aimed to explore the experiences of older adults in the urban environment, falling and the fear of falling outdoors. We conducted an online survey with adults aged 50+ using a participatory mapping survey tool and a convenience sample. The study area was Greater Christchurch, New Zealand. Results suggest that both perceived accessibility and neighbourhood conditions are independently associated with fear of falling, after controlling for frequency of falling, gender and activities of daily living. Our findings demonstrate the need for much better understandings of the relationships between the urban environment, outdoor mobility, fear of falling and falling among older adults and we propose suggestions for future research.
Citation
Curl A, Fitt H, Tomintz M Experiences of the Built Environment, Falls and Fear of Falling Outdoors among Older Adults: An Exploratory Study and Future Directions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17(4). 1224-1224.This citation is automatically generated and may be unreliable. Use as a guide only.
Keywords
falls; ageing; built environment; fear of falling; mobility; wellbeingANZSRC Fields of Research
33 - Built environment and design::3304 - Urban and regional planning::330411 - Urban design42 - Health sciences::4203 - Health services and systems::420301 - Aged health care
11 - Medical and Health Sciences::1117 - Public Health and Health Services::111705 - Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety
Rights
All rights reserved unless otherwise statedRelated items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Outdoor environmental supportiveness and older people's quality of life: a personal projects approach
Curl, A.; Ward Thompson, C.; Alves, S.; Aspinall, P. (University of Canterbury. Geography, 2016)We present an approach to exploring the role of environmental supportiveness in contributing to older people’s quality of life (QoL), based on Little’s ecological model (2010) in which individual and situational factors ... -
A socio-spatial analysis of pedestrian falls in Aotearoa New Zealand
Watkins A; Curl A; Mavoa S; Tomintz M; Todd V; Dicker B (Elsevier BV, 2020)Falls are a leading cause of injury and accidental death, particularly amongst older people. Evidence of environmental risk factors for pedestrian falls among older adults could support age-friendly urban design and contribute ... -
Do changes to the local street environment alter behaviour and quality of life of older adults? The 'DIY Streets' intervention.
Ward Thompson, C.; Curl, A.; Aspinall, P.; Alves, S.; Zuin, A. (University of Canterbury. Geography, 2012)Background The burden of ill-health due to inactivity has recently been highlighted. Better studies on environments that support physical activity are called for, including longitudinal studies of environmental interventions. ...