Perceived Balance, Balance Performance, and Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study.

To examine the extent to which older adults' perceived balance, a balance performance test, and fear of falling (FOF) were associated with falls in the last month. The Health Belief Model served as the theoretical framework. A retrospective, cross-sectional, secondary analysis using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study was conducted ( = 7499). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of reporting a fall in the past month were 3.3 times ( < .001) greater for participants who self-reported having a balance problem compared to those who did not. The Short Physical Performance Battery and FOF were not uniquely associated with falls. Our findings support limited evidence suggesting that older adults' perceived balance is a better predictor of falls than balance performance. Assessing older adults' perceived balance may be a new way to assess older adults' fall risk to prevent future falls.