The effects of barrier-free housing on the physical fitness and incidence of falls among healthy middle-aged and elderly people

摘要

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of barrier-free environments in private homes on physical fitness and incidence of falls among healthy physically independent middle-aged and elderly persons who do not require barrier-free environments. A total of 138 Japanese adults aged over 60 years (average age, 73.8 years) answered questionnaires. We selected 113 respondents who did not need barrier-free environments and had been living in the same house for more than five years. Favorable factors on physical fitness were found to include “wide hallways”, “a light switch for hallway lights located near bedroom entrances”, “wide stairways”, and “a large lavatory/toilet space”. Unfavorable factors were 'installation of staircase handrails' and 'the use of a bed'. On the other hand, fall incidence was related to “stair gradient”. These findings suggested that, among healthy middle-aged and elderly people, exposure to different barrier-free factors affects physical fitness in different ways. Wider spaces and better lighting appear to prevent deterioration in physical fitness with aging, while the use of hand rails and beds have a counter-effect.