| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
RCT (individually randomised, but 6 clusters containing couples at same address) |
| Participants |
Setting: Perth, Western Australia
N = 149
Sample: men and women recruited by press releases in 11 newspapers and information brochures distributed to organisations, GPs, etc (79% women)
Age (years): N = 101 aged 75 to 84, N = 48 aged 85 to 94
Inclusion criteria: age ≥ 75; community‐living; independent in basic ADL; able to walk 20 m without personal assistance
Exclusion criteria: cognitive impairment (MMSE ≤ 24); various conditions, e.g. angina, claudication, cerebrovascular disease, low or high blood pressure, major systemic disease, mental illness |
| Interventions |
1. Exercise intervention to improve cardiovascular endurance, general muscle performance, balance, co‐ordination and flexibility. 60 min, 2 x per wk for 16 wks (32 hours).
2. Social intervention for 13 wks involving presentations of travel slides and videos by participants
3. Control: no intervention |
| Outcomes |
1. Number of participants falling |
| Duration of the study |
14 months |
| Notes |
|
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Quote: "randomised into one of three groups using a table of random numbers". |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Randomised into one of 3 groups "by a physiotherapist uninvolved in the study." |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
Participants and personnel not blind to allocated group but impact of non‐blinding unclear |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Falls and fallers |
Low risk |
Falls reported by participants who were aware of their group allocation, but outcome assessors were blinded |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Fallers |
Low risk |
SeeAppendix 3 for method of assessment |
| Risk of bias in recall of falls |
Low risk |
Participants provided details of falls in monthly report sheet returned in reply paid addressed envelopes |
