title: Factors influencing falls in the frail elderly individuals in urban and rural areas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Falls in older people commonly cause morbidity and mortality, loss of independence, and poor quality of life. Differences in residential environments might influence falls experienced by elderly people in urban and rural areas.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to provide data through the comparative analysis of physical and environmental factors influencing falls in the frail elderly individuals in urban and rural areas, which might be used for developing the fall prevention program.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 534 frail elderly individuals living in regional communities were assessed over 2 months. Discomfort when walking, avoiding falls, awareness of falls, physical activity, fear of falling, depression, and a safety score for the home environment were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Frail elderly individuals in urban and rural areas had significant differences in terms of their prior experience of falls; the number of falls; the intake of hypertension medication, arthritis medication, and painkillers, respectively, discomfort when walking; physical activity; and the safety score of their home environments. There were significant differences between the frail elderly individuals living in urban and rural areas with the highest incidence of falls with regard to their education level, marital status, residential types, the intake of arthritis medication and painkillers, walking discomfort, physical activity, and the safety score of their home environments. In the factors influencing falls of frail elderly individuals in urban areas, stroke, visual impairment, and the fear of falling were significant explanatory variables. In the factors influencing falls of frail elderly individuals in rural areas, dizziness, walking discomfort and the fear of falling were significant explanatory variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that different factors influence falls among the elderly living in different residential areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, a multidimensional customized fall prevention program should be considered by various factors according to residential environments to effectively prevent falls among elderly adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Soon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chul Gyu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Sahmyook University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: JongEun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University, 900 Gajwa-Dong, Jinju, 660-701, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea. miyangjeon@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mi Yang
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Jeon
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Fall; Rural area; The frail elderly; Urban area