Effectiveness of falls prevention intervention programme in community-dwelling older people in Thailand: Randomized controlled trial.

The groups were not identical at baseline: they differed on number of medical conditions, medications, Timed Chair Stand time, physical activity score and home hazards, with the intervention group also having more home hazards. Many outcome measures were analysed, so some significant differences could be due to chance; the authors noted that using a stricter p < 0.01 did not change the conclusion. 17.33% of participants stopped before the end, and missing follow-up data were filled with the last measured value. The intervention combined balance exercise, falls advice and a booklet, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Compliance with non-exercise parts was not measured quantitatively, and home hazard advice often could not be implemented because of house structure or other practical limits. The exercise programme lasted four months and may have been less intense or challenging than programmes shown to reduce falls in other trials. Participants had to be able to walk outdoors with no more support than a single point stick, so results may not apply to more frail older adults.

The authors declared no relevant conflict of interest. The study was funded by the Health Systems Research Institute under the National Research Council of Thailand.

Do not conclude that the home balance exercise programme prevents falls because it was safe and adherence was high. The falls outcome was not significantly different between groups, and the programme also included falls advice and a booklet, so exercise alone was not tested.