Schoenfelder 2004.
| Methods | Type of study: RCT. | |
| Participants | Number of participants randomised: 81
Losses: At 3 months, exercise n = 9, control n = 6; at 6 months, exercise n = 3, control n = 5 N = 81 Age: 64 ‐ 100 years, mean 84.1. Sex: 62 women, 19 men. Health Status defined by authors: frail Residential status of participants: nursing home Setting: USA. Inclusion: Recruited from nursing homes, 65 years and over, independent ambulators, English speakers, scored 20 plus on MMSE. Exclusion: unstable physical conditions. |
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| Interventions | EXERCISE GROUP (MULTIPLE): (N = 42) strength and endurance training plus 10 minutes walking. CONTROL GROUP: (N = 39) attention placebo. Duration and intensity: exercise group ‐ 15 ‐20 minutes, 3 times per week x 3 months. Control group ‐ 30 minutes weekly x 3 months. Supervisor: student nurses. Supervision: individual. Setting: institutional. | |
| Outcomes | Parallel stance (max 10s) (s).
Semi tandem stance (max 10s) (s).
Tandem stance (max 10s) (s).
Walking speed over 6 metres (m/s). Compliance/adherence: not reported Adverse events: not reported |
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| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Method of randomisation not known (matched pairs by risk assessment for falls) |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Insufficient reporting to permit judgement |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | High risk | Not adequately addressed |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Unclear risk | Insufficient reporting to permit judgement |
| Other bias | Low risk | The study appears to be free of other sources of bias |
| Blinding (participant) | High risk | Not possible |
| Blinding (assessor) | Low risk | Assessors 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)? | Low risk | Follow‐up at 3 months post intervention |