Lehtola 2000.
| Methods | Study design: RCT Number of study arms: 2 Length of follow‐up: 10 months |
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| Participants | Setting: Finland Number of participants: 131 Number analysed: 131 Number lost to follow‐up: 0 Sample: community‐dwelling Age (years): Intervention mean 72.3 (SD 1.6), Control mean 72.4 (SD 1.6) Sex: 80% female Inclusion criteria: community‐dwelling adults aged 70 ‐ 75 Exclusion criteria: people in institutional care, people who on testing required a mobility aid, or had physical or cognitive impairments e.g. dementia, RA, OA, cardiac or respiratory conditions |
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| Interventions | 1. Group‐based balance and flexibility training plus walking and home practice: 60‐minute class, 1 a week for 20 weeks; walking with sticks 20 minutes, > 3 a week for 24 weeks; home exercises 20 minutes, > 3 a week for 24 weeks 2. Control group: usual care |
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| Outcomes | 1. Rate of falls | |
| Duration of the study | 40 weeks | |
| Adherence | Participants completed diary collected monthly 1. Group‐based balance and flexibility training plus walking and home practice group: 'Active' participants: 52 participants; 'Passive': 20 participants |
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| Notes | Source of funding: not reported Economic information: not reported |
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| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Unable to assess due to language |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Unable to assess due to language |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Unable to assess due to language |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Falls | Unclear risk | Unable to assess due to language |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Fractures | Unclear risk | Not applicable |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Hospital admission, medical attention and adverse events | Unclear risk | Not applicable |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Health related quality of life (self report) | Unclear risk | Not applicable |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Falls and fallers | High risk | Risk of falls and adverse events not reported |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | No missing fall data |
| Method of ascertaining falls (recall bias) | Unclear risk | Unable to assess due to language |