Outdoor Falls Prevention Strategy Use and Neighborhood Walkability Among Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Residents

Abstract

Background Outdoor falls present a significant challenge to the health and well-being of older adults. Safe strategy use is an important component of falls prevention, yet little is known regarding use of outdoor falls prevention strategies. Aims To examine outdoor falls prevention strategy use among naturally occurring retirement community residents at risk for falls, and to examine associations with neighborhood walkability. Methods Descriptive analyses of pretest data from an intervention study ( N = 97) were conducted to examine frequency of outdoor falls prevention strategy use. Walk Score® data were added to the dataset, and chi-square tests of independence were used to examine associations between walkability categories and outdoor falls prevention strategy use. Results Some strategies, such as visual scanning and holding rails on stairs, were used by 70% or more of participants while others, such as route planning, were infrequently or inconsistently used. With the exception of avoiding cell phone use while walking outdoors, no significant associations were found between walkability categories and outdoor falls prevention strategy use. Conclusion Study findings serve as a needs assessment for health education and behavioral training.