For extrinsic factors, we found no significant
differences in the types of housing between fallers and
non-fallers. We did, however, find significant
differences in environments between the two groups,
in the areas of fall hazards (e.g. accessibility and
height of fixtures and equipment) with respect to
seating, toilets and kitchens, and with the feature of
steps and lack of stair railings as measured by the
WeHSA. This is of particular importance in our study
with older people living in high-rise residential
buildings. The finding of environmental differences
between fallers and non-fallers in household
environmental hazards is inconsistent with some
previous studies [7, 8]. Although some of these
studies did not find differences in home hazards
between fallers and non-fallers, they claimed it was
the interaction between an older person and exposure
to environmental factors that are predictive of falls in
older adults and varies over time according to the
individual’s competence