| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
RCT (cluster‐randomised by senior centre. 2 x 2 factorial design) |
| Participants |
Setting: Los Angeles County and Orange County, California, USA
N = 230
Sample: recruited from 16 senior centres (80% women)
Age (years): mean 74.2 (SD 6.0)
Inclusion criteria: aged over 60
Exclusion criteria: none listed |
| Interventions |
1. "Stand up/step up" exercise programme, with preliminary stretching exercise (1 hour, 3 x per wk for 52 wks)
2. Cognitive‐behavioural intervention consisting of relaxation training, reaction time training and health and safety curriculum (1 hour, 1 x per wk for 52 wks)
3. Exercise (2 x per wk) and cognitive intervention (1 x per wk) for 52 wks
4. Discussion control group (1 hour, 1 x per wk for 52 wks) |
| Outcomes |
1. Number of people falling |
| Duration of the study |
1 year |
| Notes |
MacRae paper includes a subset of results for only 2 arms of the study, in Los Angeles county only |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Quote: "randomly assigned to treatments" |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
Cluster‐randomised |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
Participants and personnel implementing the intervention not blind to allocated group, but impact of non‐blinding unclear |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Falls and fallers |
Unclear risk |
Falls reported by participants who were aware of their group allocation. Blinding of research assistant not described. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Fallers |
Low risk |
SeeAppendix 3 for method of assessment |
| Risk of bias in recall of falls |
Low risk |
Prospective. Monthly diaries plus weekly phone calls or visits. |
