Factors affecting home environmental safety management for fall prevention for older adults in northern Thailand

Falls among older adults affect physical and mental health, disability, death, and quality of life. Home environmental safety management helps to reduce the risk of falls among older adults. This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to determine factors affecting home environmental safety management for fall prevention for older adults in northern Thailand.

The study sample included 328 relatives who looked after older adults in their families in Phitsanulok Province, northern Thailand. They were randomly selected by a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 7 parts: (1) sociodemographic characteristics, (2) knowledge about home environmental safety management, (3) perceived susceptibility of falls, (4) perceived severity of falls among older adults, (5) perceived self-efficacy of home environmental safety management, (6) perceived outcome of home environmental safety management, and (7) home environmental safety management. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and multiple regression analysis were employed for data analysis.

The majority of participants (60.4%) had high scores for home environmental safety management for fall prevention for older adults (scores of 14-20). Factors that significantly affected home environmental safety management included perceived severity of falls among older adults (β = 0.323), perceived self-efficacy of home environmental safety management (β = 0.311), the elderly family member having fallen in the past year (β = 0.217), being a grandchild of an older adult (β = -0.143), perceived outcome of home environmental safety management (β = 0.142), and being widowed, divorced or separated (β = -0.096). These 6 factors explained 35.1% of home environmental safety management for fall prevention for older adults.

Relatives who look after older adults should be educated about the perceived severity of falls among older adults, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived outcome of home environmental safety management. The focus should be on grandchildren of older adults and those who are widowed, divorced or separated to understand how home environmental safety management is important to prevent falls and their consequences among older adults.