Cent Eur J Public Health 2020, 28(1):33-39 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a5194

Environmental characteristics of older people attending physical medicine and rehabilitation outpatient clinics

Mehmet Beyazova¹, Asuman Doğan², Yeşim Gökçe Kutsal³, Sevilay Karahan⁴, Şule Arslan⁵, Kutay Ordu Gökkaya², Füsun Toraman⁶, Nilay Dinçer⁷, Sami Hizmetli⁸, Kazim Şenel⁹, Pelin Yazgan¹⁰, Özgür Ortancil¹¹, Jale İrdesel¹², Özden Özyemişçi-Taşkiran¹³, Pinar Borman³, Müesser Okumuş¹⁴, Esma Ceceli¹⁴, Deniz Evcik¹⁵, Saime Ay¹⁵, Pinar Öztop¹⁶, Nur Turhan¹⁷, Nurten Eskiyurt¹⁸, Rezzan Günaydin¹⁹, Sibel Eyigör²⁰, Özlem Altindağ²¹, Ali Aydeniz²¹

¹ Darüşşafaka Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre, Istanbul, Turkey

² Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara PMR Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

³ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

⁴ Department of Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

⁵ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Acibadem Atakent Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

⁶ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Antalya Atatürk Education and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey

⁷ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Meram Medical School, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey

⁸ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey

⁹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical Faculty, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey

¹⁰ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, Sanliurfa, Turkey

¹¹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey

¹² Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey

¹³ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

¹⁴ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey

¹⁵ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Ufuk University, Ankara, Turkey

¹⁶ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Baskent University, Istanbul, Turkey

¹⁷ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Bayindir Hospital, Icerenköy Istanbul, Turkey

¹⁸ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

¹⁹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Izmir Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey

²⁰ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

²¹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey

Objective: A residential environment refers to the physical and social characteristics in a neighbourhood. The physical characteristics include interior housing qualities, exterior neighbourhood characteristics, and the accessibility of essential facilities and services outside the neighbourhood. Older adults especially may be vulnerable to the negative impacts of the residential environment. The aim of this study is to elucidate the problems ageing people face in their neighbourhoods, buildings and public areas.

Methods: The study group consisted of a total of 1,001 people over the age of 65 who were admitted to physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics in Turkey and consented to participate. A questionnaire covering demographic, social and environmental information was used.

Results: Of the study group, 58.6% was living in an apartment building, but only 23.6% of these buildings had an elevator, and the stairs were inconvenient in 46.7% of the buildings. Only 49% of the elderly people went for a walk regularly. The most frequent complaint about the hospitals, community health centres and other public areas was the inappropriate restroom conditions. Eighty-six percent of the study group were not members of an organization, a foundation or a group, and 73.6% did not have personal hobbies.

Conclusions: The layouts of buildings and surroundings are inappropriate for older people, and the opportunities for them to participate in social activities are limited. Health and social programmes and governmental and local policies for older people are needed, and public awareness about this issue should be raised.

Keywords: environment, social life, aged population

Received: August 29, 2017; Revised: January 30, 2020; Accepted: January 30, 2020; Published: March 30, 2020  Show citation