Perceived neighbourhood environment and falls among community-dwelling adults: cross-sectional and prospective findings from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

Giulia Ogliari (), Jesper Ryg (), Karen Andersen-Ranberg (), Lasse Lybecker Scheel-Hincke () and Tahir Masud ()
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Giulia Ogliari: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Jesper Ryg: Odense University Hospital
Karen Andersen-Ranberg: Odense University Hospital
Lasse Lybecker Scheel-Hincke: University of Southern Denmark
Tahir Masud: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

European Journal of Ageing, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, No 21, 1134 pages

Abstract: Abstract We investigated the association between perceived neighbourhood characteristics and falls in community-dwelling adults, using data from Wave 5 and 6 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). We included 25,467 participants aged 50 to 103 years (mean age 66.2 ± 9.6, 58.5% women), from fourteen European countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland). At baseline, we recorded individual-level factors (socio-demographic, socio-economic and clinical factors), contextual-level factors (country, urban versus rural area, European region) and perceived neighbourhood characteristics (vandalism or crime, cleanliness, feeling part of neighbourhood, helpful neighbours, accessibility to services) for each participant. We recorded falls in the six months prior to the baseline and 2-year follow-up interviews. The associations between neighbourhood characteristics and falls were analysed by binary logistic regression models; odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Participants reporting-versus not reporting-vandalism or crime had an increased falls risk of 1.16 (1.02–1.31) at follow-up, after full adjustment; lack of cleanliness, feeling part of the neighbourhood, perceiving neighbours as helpful and difficult accessibility to services were not associated with falls. Vandalism or crime was consistently associated with increased falls risks in women, adults without functional impairment and urban areas residents. In conclusion, adverse neighbourhood environments may account for inequality in falls risk among middle-aged and older adults and could be added to fall risk stratification tools.

Keywords: Population-based cohort study; Falls; Physical disorder; Neighbourhood social cohesiveness; Safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00685-3

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