Effect of the living environment on falls among the elderly in Thailand

The household environment influences the health of the elderly. We studied home hazards and living arrangements and their association with falls among the elderly in Thailand. The data were obtained from a national survey among the elderly in Thailand conducted by the National Statistical Office in 2007. The survey asked about a history of falls, the household environment and possible risk factors for falls. The survey was conducted in 26,689 subjects aged > or = 60 years. The factors associated with a chance of falls were: a slippery floor in the first storey of the house (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.21-1.59, p = 0.000), a slippery floor in the bathroom or toilet (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.16-1.49, p = 0.000) and bathroom or toilet located outside the house (OR 1.23; 95%CI 1.12-1.35, p = 0.000). Elderly people who lived with spouse had a 32% lower chance (OR 0.68; 95%CI 0.59-0.78, p = 0.000) of experiencing a fall than those who lived alone in the house.