The prevalence of home injuries among elderly people in Samsun, Turkey, and the influencing factors

Authors: HÜLYA DOĞAN, SEVGİ CANBAZ, BERNA TANDER, YILDIZ PEKŞEN, FERHAN CANTÜRK, NİMET ÖZAL ORUÇ

Abstract: Home injuries are a serious public health problem for the elderly. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of home injuries among elderly people in Samsun, Turkey, and the influencing factors. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 January and 28 February 2007. A questionnaire, the Home-Screen Scale (HSS), and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administered to the elderly subjects. Results: Of all participants, 20.6% had experienced some kind of home injury. Seven participants living alone and 14 living with their families had suffered home injuries, suggesting a statistically significant difference between these 2 groups (P < 0.05). Eleven (14.7%) subjects living in secure housing and 10 (37.0%) living in unsecure housing had suffered home injuries, the difference again being statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Home injuries are more common among people living alone and in unsecure housing according to the HSS.

Keywords: Elderly, home injury, falls, home-screen scale, geriatric depression scale

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