Indoor falls among community-dwelling older adults: associations with home safety conditions and risky behaviours in south-western Türkiye

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Falls among older adults constitute an important public health concern due to their association with injury, disability and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of past-year indoor falls among older adults living in Isparta, Türkiye, and to examine their associations with home safety conditions, selected behaviours and sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the central district of Isparta, located in south-western Türkiye. A stratified sampling approach based on neighbourhood population size was used, followed by simple random sampling. Data from 1002 participants were analysed. Past-year indoor fall experience was assessed by self-report. Home safety conditions were evaluated using the Home Environment Conditions Evaluation Form for Falls, administered during home visits by trained data collectors. Fear of falling and fall-related behaviours were assessed using the Falls Efficacy Scale-International and the Falls Behaviour Scale for Older People (FaB). Associations were examined using descriptive statistics, group comparisons and bivariate ORs. RESULTS: The prevalence of past-year indoor falls was 18.3% (95% CI 15.9% to 20.7%). Indoor fall experience was associated with marital status, regular medication use and walking aid use. Higher bathroom-toilet and stairs scores, indicating poorer home safety conditions, were also associated with higher odds of indoor falls. CONCLUSION: Indoor falls among older adults were associated with selected individual characteristics and with specific home environments, particularly bathroom-toilet and stair areas. These findings highlight the relevance of systematically assessing home environments and functional vulnerability when examining indoor falls in community-dwelling older adults.