Karen Hughes ^1*, Eric van Beurden ², Elizabeth G. Eakin ³, Lisa M. Barnett ⁴, Elizabeth Patterson ², Jan Backhouse ⁵, Sue Jones ⁶, Darren Hauser ⁶, John R. Beard ⁷, Beth Newman ¹

¹ Queensland University of Technology
² North Coast Area Health Service
³ University of Queensland
⁴ The Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health
⁵ Southern Cross University
⁶ Wide Bay Population Health Unit
⁷ New York Academy of Medicine

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: karenhughes{at}cancerqld.org.au.

	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 likely to be men, younger, partnered, and privately insured, and to report better health and no history of falls. Focus group data indicated that older people preferred messages that emphasized health and independence rather than falls.

Conclusions. Although older people accepted traditional fall-prevention messages, most viewed them as not personally relevant. Messages that promote health and independence may be more effective.

Key Words: Aging, Health Education, Health Promotion, Injury/Emergency Care/Violence, Prevention, Public Health Practice