McMurdo 1993.
| Methods | Type of study: Cluster RCT (exercise = 2 clusters, reminiscence therapy = 2 clusters) | |
| Participants | Number of participants randomised: 49
Losses: 5 from exercise group and 3 from control group N = 49 Age: mean 81 (range 64 to 91) years. Sex: 33 females, 8 males. Health status defined by authors: frail Resisdential status of participants: old peoples home Setting: UK Inclusion: in residential care Exclusion: residents with severe communication difficulties. |
|
| Interventions | EXERCISE GROUP (MULTIPLE): (n = 20) All exercises were performed seated. Warm‐up, exercises designed to put joints in upper and lower limbs through their full range of movements. As the study progressed participants were encouraged to sustain muscle contractions for longer and increase number of repetitions. CONTROL GROUP: (n = 24) attended reminiscence sessions Duration and intensity: exercise group ‐ 45 minutes twice weekly for six months, control group ‐ for 45 minutes twice weekly for 6 months. Supervisor: not stated. Supervision: group Setting: residential home | |
| Outcomes | Postural sway ‐ eyes open and eyes closed (Wrights ataxiameter) Compliance/adherence: mean 91% exercise sessions Adverse events: not reported |
|
| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Randomised homes by sealed envelopes based on computer generated numbers, participants allocated in blocks of 4 by gender and age (70‐79 and 80+) |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Unclear, insufficient reporting to permit judgement |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | High risk | Withdrawals described, analysis not possible |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | High risk | Inadequate description of all measures |
| Other bias | High risk | Failure to adjust for clustering |
| Blinding (participant) | High risk | Not possible |
| Blinding (assessor) | High risk | Assessors not blinded. |
| Were the treatment and control group comparable at entry? | Low risk | No differences reported on baseline characteristics with a potential to influence the effect of the intervention |
| Was the surveillance active, and of clinically appropriate duration (i.e. at least 3 months post intervention)? | High risk | Only immediately post intervention data, no follow‐up data reported |