Relationships between Supporting Facilities and Likelihood of Hypertension for Young-old Elderly People in Residential Apartments

Despite advancement in health care and increasing allocation to health cost, diseases causes decline in the defense mechanism of young-old elderly. Hypertension, a prevalent cause of mortality in the young-old elderly, is induced by age-related vascular, neuro-hormonal changes and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. To reduce the risk of hypertension and ensure a better living environment, there is need to install appropriate supporting facilities (SF). The current study seeks to investigate the relationships between SF and the likelihood of hypertension for young-old elderly people living in different residential buildings in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was designed to investigate the relationships between 35 SF items and the likelihood of hypertension in the young-old elderly in residential buildings. A total of 84 respondents participated in the study, while binary logistic regression analysis was adopted. The results indicate that height of fixture and furniture, width of doors, clearance between grab bar and wall and height of grab bar are significantly important for reporting the likelihood of hypertension. Based on the established significant relationships, the study suggests the positioning of furniture at appropriate heights, adequate door width, sufficient clearance between grab bars and walls, and at comfortable heights to ensure good blood circulation.