Falling is very dangerous for elderly people. A sociologist studying eldercare and carpeting
examines a random sample of 150 hospital records of elderly people who were admitted to
the hospital after a fall. In addition the researcher looks at a random sample of 150 records of
elderly people who were admitted for other reasons. The sociologist calls the families and
asks whether the house in which the elderly person lives is carpeted. The sociologist finds
that the houses where the elderly people were admitted to the hospital for a fall were more
likely to have carpet than the houses where elderly people were admitted for another reason.
The correct headline reporting these results should read:
O Carpet causes more falling among the elderly.
O Carpet associated with more falls for grandma.
O Hardwood prevents falling in the elderly.