Good memory as a predictor of falls: fact or artefact.
BACKGROUND
accurate classification of older people into fallers and non-fallers is crucial for falls research, but largely dependent on the accuracy of fall reporting by the participants.


OBJECTIVE
to investigate the influence of memory in relation to fall reporting.


METHODS
five hundred community-dwelling adults aged 70-90 years.


METHODS
memory and executive functioning were assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning and Trail Making test, respectively. Fall risk was estimated using the physiological profile assessment (PPA). Falls were recorded prospectively for 12 months using monthly falls diaries and follow-up phone calls as required.


RESULTS
Spearman correlations showed that falls were significantly correlated to worse executive functioning, worse PPA scores and better memory. People with better memory had an increased risk of being classified as single fallers and multiple fallers, but not when reported injuries were included as part of the definition.


CONCLUSIONS
good memory appears to influence the recording of falls in community-dwelling older people and likely reflects a reporting bias. In research studies, there may be value in using a combination of injurious falls and multiple falls when classifying people into faller and non-faller groups.
Falls and Balance Research Group,  Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney,  Australia.
Kim
K
Delbaere
Jacqueline C T
JC
Close
Nicole A
NA
Kochan
Perminder S
PS
Sachdev
Stephen R
SR
Lord
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D016477:Artifacts; D015982:Bias; D003071:Cognition; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009517:New South Wales; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors