ORs were generally higher for recurrent fallers than for all fallers .
This meta- analysis provides comprehensive evidence -based assessment of risk factors for falls in older people , confirming their multifactorial etiology .
Some nonspecific indicators of high baseline risk were also strong predictors of the risk of falling
BACKGROUND Falls are the main cause of accidental death in persons aged 65 years or older .
Forgetting falls. The limited accuracy of recall of falls in the elderly.
To determine how accurately elderly subjects recall recent falls , we studied 304 ambulatory men and women over the age of 60 years who completed a 12-month prospect i ve study of risk factors for falling . We developed a system of weekly follow-up and home visits to record and confirm all falls . During the study , 179 participants suffered at least one fall that was confirmed by home visit . At the end of the study , all subjects were interviewed by telephone about whether they had suffered a fall during the preceding 3 , 6 , or 12 months . Depending on the time period of recall , 13 % to 32 % of those with confirmed falls did not recall falling during the specific period of time . Recall was better for the preceding 12 months than for 3 or 6 months . There were only weak correlations ( r = 0.28 to 0.59 ) between the number of falls that were documented and the number that the subjects recalled during each of these periods . Those with lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination were more likely to forget falls . We conclude that elderly subjects often do not recall falls that occurred during specific periods of time over the preceding 3 to 12 months . Research ers and clinicians should consider using methods besides long-term recall for ascertaining and counting falls over specific periods of time
ORs were generally higher for recurrent fallers than for all fallers .
This meta- analysis provides comprehensive evidence -based assessment of risk factors for falls in older people , confirming their multifactorial etiology .
Some nonspecific indicators of high baseline risk were also strong predictors of the risk of falling
BACKGROUND Falls are the main cause of accidental death in persons aged 65 years or older .