Association between indoor temperature during winter and falls at home in the past year among community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional analysis of the nationwide Smart Wellness Housing survey in Japan

Abstract

Some studies have reported a higher incidence of falls during winter with similar proportions of indoor and outdoor falls. We investigated the relationship between indoor temperature during winter and falls at home in the past year among community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional study enrolled 964 individuals of ≥65 years of age in Japan. Participants answered questions about falls (including trips) at home within the past year, and the living room temperature was measured for 2 weeks during winter. Participants were divided into those living in cold (mean temperature near the floor <12°C), slightly cold (12-17.9°C), and warm (≥18°C) houses. The association between indoor temperature (cold vs. slightly cold vs. warm houses) and falls at home in the past year was examined using a logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential confounding factors. Valid data were obtained from 907 participants (mean age: 72.0±6.3 years), of whom 265,553, and 89 lived in cold, slightly cold, and warm houses, respectively. In the past year, falls occurred once in 325 (35.8%) participants and multiple times in 148 (16.3%) participants. In warm houses, the odds ratio of falling once and multiple times in the past year was 0.49 (p=0.032) and 0.34 (p=0.035), respectively, in comparison to cold houses. Living in cold houses may be associated with an increased risk of falling at home among older adults. Maintaining an appropriate indoor thermal environment during winter may reduce the risk of falling among individuals who spend most of their time at home.