title: Older community-dwelling people's comparative optimism about falling: a population-based telephone survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether older community-dwelling people underestimate their own perceived chance of falling compared with that of other older people (comparative optimism), and whether a history of falls is associated with comparative optimism.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of community-dwelling South Australians aged ≥65 years (n= 389) completed a computer-assisted telephone interview about their 12-month fall history, their perceived chance of falling and their rating of other older people's chance of falling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents were comparatively optimistic about their chance of falling (Z =-8.1, P < 0.001). Those who had fallen in the last 12 months had a lower comparative optimism score (Z =-3.0, P < 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As older people were comparatively optimistic about their likelihood of falling, they might not find fall prevention messages relevant. When older people present with a fall, clinicians could provide fall prevention information consistent with how older people present themselves.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. joanne.dollard@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dollard
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Newbury
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Turnbull
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013689:Telephone