| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT (NCT00694018)
Setting: USA, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 229 (E1 = 111, E2 = 118)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 52
Sex (female): 13% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Daily walking with a pedometer (as part of an internet‐mediated walking programme) and internet support group; type = aerobic; duration = 52 weeks; dose = high; design = partially individualised; delivery = independent with follow‐up; additional intervention = advice/education & psychological therapy
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Daily walking with a pedometer with email reminders; type = aerobic; duration = 52 weeks; dose = high; design = partially individualised; delivery = independent with follow‐up; additional intervention = none |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Pain Rating Scale); function (Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 24 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center (P60 DK020572); Center for Health Communications Research (P50CA101451); Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (NIH #UL1RR024986)
Other: Information modified for author contact |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Random number generator |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Participants were emailed to inform them of their group assignment. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Participants were emailed to inform them of their group assignment (Internet support or monthly upload). |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Assumed not possible |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Data from 92% of those in the intervention group and 89% receiving usual care at 12 months |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: Author reported yes, but figures and tables contradict this. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
None of the observed differences in baseline characteristics were statistically significant. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: not limited, but no differences across groups |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Eighty per cent compliance for uploading data, but participants logged in to the computer only 38% of the time. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
