Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong.
Sci Total Environ. 2009 Dec 1;407(24):6157-65. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.08.042. Epub 2009 Sep 22.
Elderly fall has become an issue of great public health concern and typically important to the aging population in Hong Kong because it carries a great burden to the individuals and the society. More accurate information about environmental risk factors to falls among the elderly could alleviate if not overcome the situation. Conventional approaches to elderly falls were mainly conducted using statistical methods and clinical tests on falls. This study employs ecological and associative analysis using the geographic information systems (GIS) technology to visualize spatial association of falls and environmental factors. The study identified eleven hot spots of elderly falls with unique environmental characteristics. Amongst various environmental attributes, busy streets and junctions, outdoor markets, and refuse collection points, exhibit a strong spatial relationship with the hot spots. The results have demonstrated that GIS can offer an excellent synergic platform to explore the role of space and pattern in fall occurrences.
老年人跌倒已成为一个备受公众关注的健康问题，对香港的老年人群体尤为重要，因为它给个人和社会带来了巨大的负担。如果不能克服这种情况，那么获得有关老年人跌倒环境风险因素的更准确信息可能会有所帮助。传统的老年人跌倒方法主要是使用统计方法和临床测试来进行跌倒研究。本研究采用生态和关联分析方法，并结合地理信息系统 (GIS) 技术，可视化了跌倒和环境因素的空间关联。该研究确定了十一个具有独特环境特征的老年人跌倒热点。在各种环境属性中，繁忙的街道和路口、户外市场和垃圾收集点与这些热点具有很强的空间关系。研究结果表明，GIS 可以提供一个极好的协同平台，以探索空间和模式在跌倒发生中的作用。
