Citation

Hughes K, van Beurden E, Eakin EG, Barnett LM, Patterson E, Backhouse J, Jones S, Hauser D, Beard JR, Newman B. Am. J. Public Health 2008; 98(2): 351-357.

Affiliation

Queensland University of Technology.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2007.115055

PMID

18172132

PMCID

PMC2376900

Abstract

Objectives. We examined older people's attitudes about falls and implications for the design of fall-prevention awareness campaigns. Methods. We assessed data from (1) computer-assisted telephone surveys conducted in 2002 with Australians 60 years and older in Northern Rivers, New South Wales (site of a previous fall-prevention program; n=1601), and Wide Bay, Queensland (comparison community; n=1601), and (2) 8 focus groups (n=73). Results. Participants from the previous intervention site were less likely than were comparison participants to agree that falls are not preventable (odds ratio [OR]=0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.65, 0.90) and more likely to rate the prevention of falls a high priority (OR=1.31; 95% CI= 1.09, 1.57). There was no difference between the groups for self-perceived risk of falls; more than 60% rated their risk as low. Those with a low perceived risk were more likelyto be men, younger, partnered, and privately insured,and to report better health and nohistory of falls. Focus group data indicated that older people preferred messages that emphasized health and independence rather than falls. Conclusions. Although older people acceptedtraditional fall-prevention messages, most viewedthem as not personally relevant. Messages that promote health and independence may be more effective.

Language: en