title: Relationship of perceived environmental barriers and disability in community-dwelling elderly in Taiwan--a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To identify the relationship between perceived environmental barriers and disability in community-dwelling elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study in two community service centers in Tainan. We enrolled 200 community-dwelling residents, aged above 65 years, who had resided in the same community for at least 12 months. Basic activity of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) were assessed using the Hierarchy of Care Required (HCR). There were 59 participants in BADL disability and 109 in IADL disability. Perceived environmental barriers were assessed using the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF). We used multinomial logistic regression to examine the relationship of perceived environmental barriers and disability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of perceived environmental barriers was related to BADL disability (OR = 4.39, 95% CI = 1.01-19.11) and IADL disability (IADL with difficulty in 1-2 tasks: OR = 9.93, 95% CI = 3.22-30.56; IADL with difficulty in more than 2 tasks: OR = 8.40, 95% CI = 1.83-38.51). The presence of physically/structurally perceived environmental barriers was related to BADL disability (OR = 4.90, 95% CI = 1.01-23.86) and IADL disability (IADL with difficulty in 1-2 tasks: OR = 4.61, 95% CI = 1.27-16.76; IADL with difficulty in more than 2 tasks: OR = 17.05, 95% CI = 2.82-103.30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perceived environmental barriers are related to disability in community-dwelling elderly.
authors.forename: Wei-Chih
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.forename: Nai-Wen
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jer-Hao
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yu-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. kuantashen@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ta-Shen
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kuan
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology