Table 1.
Characteristics of participants at entry to trial. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | Control centres (n=120) | Exercise programme centres
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (n=115) | 2 (n=120) | 3 (n=95) | ||
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 84.2 (3.1) | 82.7 (2.5) | 83.6 (2.8) | 84.1 (3.0) |
| Men | 35 (29) | 32 (28) | 37 (31) | 32 (34) |
| Living arrangements: | ||||
| Two or more participants in one home | 20 (17) | 26 (23) | 24 (20) | 12 (13) |
| Living alone | 74 (62) | 64 (56) | 76 (63) | 56 (59) |
| Living in nursing home | — | 1 (1) | 2 (2) | — |
| Fallen in previous year | 55 (46) | 47 (41) | 54 (45) | 53 (56) |
| Medical conditions: | ||||
| Parkinson's disease | 3 (3) | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | 1 (1) |
| Stroke | 16 (13) | 15 (13) | 18 (15) | 12 (13) |
| Hip fracture | 3 (3) | 2 (2) | 8 (7) | 3 (3) |
| Knee or hip pain, or both | 34 (28) | 34 (30) | 39 (33) | 25 (26) |
| Mean (SD) scores on SF-12*: | ||||
| Physical component | 42.0 (10.2) | 43.1 (10.0) | 40.1 (11.0) | 42.4 (11.6) |
| Mental component | 56.4 (4.5) | 55.6 (5.0) | 55.1 (5.7) | 54.1 (6.6) |
| Mean (SD) No of current prescribed drugs | 3.0 (2.1) | 2.7 (2.0) | 3.8 (2.1) | 2.6 (1.8) |
| Taking psychotropic drugs | 16 (13) | 4 (4) | 13 (11) | 17 (18) |
| Home assistance: | ||||
| Cleaning | 47 (39) | 47 (41) | 49 (41) | 34 (36) |
| Showering | 9 (8) | 3 (3) | 4 (3) | 10 (11) |
| Meals on wheels | 16 (13) | 7 (6) | 16 (13) | 10 (11) |
*
Score ranges 0–100, lower scores indicate poorer health.