Living in High-Rise Apartments and the Frequency of out-of-Home Activities Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Insight from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

Living in high-rise apartments may influence how often older adults go outside. By using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, this study examined the associations of housing type and apartment floor level with frequent out-of-home activities among community-dwelling older adults. Modified Poisson regression showed that people living on the 2nd-3rd floor (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.16) and 4th-5th floor (1.10, 1.04-1.17) of apartments with elevators engaged in out-of-home activities significantly more frequently than those living on the 1st floor. Housing structures may therefore shape health-related behaviors in older population.