Abstract
In studying falling frequency in the elderly, we observed that having subjects keep
a diary led to a larger number of falls reported than had been noted in a previous
study in the same population. The previous study asked subjects to report any falls
in the previous three months. We considered two related explanations for the observation
of lower incidence reports with a 3-month recall survey. First, there may have been
under-reporting of falls due to recall bias. Second, the less severe falls (which
did not result in injuries) may not be reported. We suggest that the proportional
hazards model may be used to adjust studies in which recall is used to determine incidence
and time to falls.
Key-Words
Recall Bias - Adjustment - Proportional Hazards Model
