Atlanta FICSIT.
| Methods | RCT with parallel group design | |
| Participants | Participants: 200 older people living in the community were recruited through local adverts and by direct contact. Mean age: 76.2 years Inclusion criteria: 70 years of age or older, live in unsupervised environments, ambulatory Exclusion criteria: presence of debilitating condition such as severe cognitive impairments, metastatic cancer, severe arthritis, Parkinson's disease or major stroke, profound visual deficits that could compromise balance or ambulation Country of publication: USA |
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| Interventions | Participants were randomly assigned to control (education) or tai chi or computerised balance training Tai chi group (n = 72): classes were a synthesis of the existing 108 forms into 10 that could be completed during the 15 weeks. Forms emphasised all components of movement that typically become limited with age. Participants were encouraged to practice at home for at least 15 minutes twice a day Control group (n = 64): instructed not to change their exercise levels. Met weekly for 1 hour with a researcher/gerontological nurse to discuss topics of interest to older people such as pharmacological management, sleep disorders, cognitive deficits, coping with bereavement and other issues of interest Follow‐up: 4 months |
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| Outcomes | Blood pressure | |
| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | A computer‐generated fixed randomisation procedure was used |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Not stated |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Not stated |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Data collectors were blind to the intervention |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Details of drop‐outs were provided but numbers were not provided by group |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | All main outcomes reported but states measured blood pressure but only reports SBP not DBP |
| Other bias | Unclear risk | Insufficient information to judge |