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

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dc.contributor.authorCurl A
dc.contributor.authorFitt H
dc.contributor.authorTomintz M
dc.date.accessioned2020-03-22T23:12:58Z
dc.date.available2020-03-22T23:12:58Z
dc.date.issued2020en
dc.date.updated2020-03-03T19:54:56Z
dc.description.abstractFalls 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.en
dc.identifier.citationCurl 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.en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041224
dc.identifier.issn1660-4601
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10092/100045
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMDPI AGen
dc.rightsAll rights reserved unless otherwise stateden
dc.rights.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10092/17651en
dc.subjectfallsen
dc.subjectageingen
dc.subjectbuilt environmenten
dc.subjectfear of fallingen
dc.subjectmobilityen
dc.subjectwellbeingen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::33 - Built environment and design::3304 - Urban and regional planning::330411 - Urban designen
dc.subject.anzsrcFields of Research::42 - Health sciences::4203 - Health services and systems::420301 - Aged health careen
dc.subject.anzsrcField of Research::11 - Medical and Health Sciences::1117 - Public Health and Health Services::111705 - Environmental and Occupational Health and Safetyen
dc.titleExperiences of the Built Environment, Falls and Fear of Falling Outdoors among Older Adults: An Exploratory Study and Future Directionsen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
uc.departmentGeospatial Research Institute
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