title: Time dependent memory decay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To estimate the rate of time dependent memory decay, injury rates from three independent studies were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  The studies asked subjects to recall injuries during the previous 2 months, 12 months, or 10 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual injury rates obtained were 108/1,000, 66/1,000, and 19/1,000, respectively. These rates are all significantly different from one another at the 0.05 level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important methodological and demographic differences between the studies, such as those involving age, injury severity, and seasonality, were ruled out as causes of these differences. Results found in the literature for other studies are compared and contrasted. These data suggest that recall periods of greater than 2 months are likely to significantly underestimate injury rates.
authors.affiliation: The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, Cooperstown, NY 12095, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Earle-Richardson
authors.forename: David Tucker
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Slingerland
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: May
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015982:Bias; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*