Citation

Satariano WA, Wang C, Kealey ME, Kurtovich E, Phelan EA. Front. Public Health 2017; 5: e142.

Affiliation

Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Frontiers Editorial Office)

DOI

10.3389/fpubh.2017.00142

PMID

28824893

PMCID

PMC5539824

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To address whether neighborhood factors, together with older adults' levels of health and functioning, suggest new combinations of risk factors for falls and new directions for prevention. To explore the utility of Grade-of-Membership (GoM) analysis to conduct this descriptive analysis.

METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 884 people aged ≥65 years from Alameda County, CA, Cook County, IL, Allegheny County, PA, and Wake and Durham counties, NC. Interviews focused on neighborhood characteristics, physical and cognitive function, walking, and falls and injuries. Four risk profiles (higher order interactions of individual and neighborhood factors) were derived from GoM analysis.

RESULTS: Profiles 1 and 2 reflect previous results showing that frail older adults are likely to fall indoors (Profile 1); healthy older adults are likely to fall outdoors (Profile 2). Profile 3 identifies the falls risk for older with mild cognitive impairment living in moderately walkable neighborhoods. Profile 4 identifies the risk found for healthy older adults living in neighborhoods with low walkability.

DISCUSSION: Neighborhood walkability, in combination with levels of health and functioning, is associated with both indoor and outdoor falls. Descriptive results suggest possible research hypotheses and new directions for prevention, based on individual and neighborhood factors.

Language: en

Keywords

aged; community; descriptive analysis; falls; neighborhood; prevention; walking