title: Completion and return of fall diaries varies with participants' level of education, first language, and baseline fall risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Consensus guidelines recommend the use of prospective fall diaries in studies of fall rates. We sought to determine the characteristics associated with return and successful completion of a falls diary and whether characteristics such as gender, education level, native language, income, and falls risk influenced self-reported fall rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and seventy people aged 65 years and older participating in a randomized controlled trial evaluating two exercise programmes. Fall diaries were collected for 6 months, then evaluated for correct completion and falls reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increasing risk of falls was associated with a reducing odds of returning diaries (odds ratio for a one unit increase in Falls Risk Assessment Tool score 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.53-0.96). Native English speakers were more likely to complete more than half the diaries correctly (odds ratio 2.63, 95% confidence interval 1.20-5.75).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Problems arise in the correct completion of falls diaries among those for whom English is not their first language. Diaries may underreport the rate of falls as those at higher risk were less likely to return diaries but more likely to report falls. Careful consideration should be given to the analysis of falls diaries as missing data are unlikely to be missing completely at random. We recommend additional training in the use of falls diaries for these groups or the utilization of simpler instruments.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. lpperry@gwu.edu
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Perry
authors: Denise
authors: D
authors: Kendrick
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Morris
authors: Susie
authors: S
authors: Dinan
authors: Tahir
authors: T
authors: Masud
authors: Dawn
authors: D
authors: Skelton
authors: Steve
authors: S
authors: Iliffe
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004522:Educational Status; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology