Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38836944›Full record

Trial reportAging clinical and experimental research2024

Acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of WE-SURF™: a virtual supervised group-based fall prevention exercise program among older adults.

Janet Bong May Ing, Maw Pin Tan, Julie Whitney, Ing Khieng Tiong, Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Effectiveness of exercise prescription variables to reduce fall risk among older adults: a meta-analysis.European review of aging and physical activity : official journal of the European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity · 2025
    Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Janet Bong May IngPhysiotherapy Programme, Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Maw Pin TanDivision of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3400-8540
Julie WhitneyKing's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4109-9970
Ing Khieng TiongGeriatric Unit, Sarawak Heart Centre, Sarawak Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Devinder Kaur Ajit SinghPhysiotherapy Programme, Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. devinder@ukm.edu.my.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6551-0437

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Conducted physically, supervised group-based falls prevention exercise programs have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the risk of falls among older adults. In this study, we aimed to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of a virtual supervised group-based falls prevention exercise program (WE-SURF™) for community-dwelling older adults at risk of falls.

methodA preliminary study utilizing virtual discussions was conducted to assess the acceptability of the program among six older adults. Effectiveness was evaluated in a randomized controlled feasibility study design, comprising 52 participants (mean age: 66.54; SD: 5.16), divided into experimental (n = 26) and control (n = 26) groups. The experimental group engaged in a 6-month WE-SURF™ program, while the control group received standard care along with a fall's prevention education session. Feasibility of the intervention was measured using attendance records, engagement rates from recorded videos, dropouts, attrition reasons, and adverse events.

resultsPreliminary findings suggested that WE-SURF™ was acceptable, with further refinements. The study revealed significant intervention effects on timed up and go (TUG) (η2p:0.08; p < 0.05), single leg stance (SLS) (η2p:0.10; p < 0.05), and lower limb muscle strength (η2p:0.09; p < 0.05) tests. No adverse events occurred during the program sessions, and both attendance and engagement rates were high (> 80% and 8/10, respectively) with minimal dropouts (4%). The WE-SURF™ program demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the risk of falls while enhancing muscle strength and balance.

conclusionIn conclusion, WE-SURF™ was demonstrated to be an acceptable, feasible, and effective virtual supervised group-based exercise program for fall prevention in community-dwelling older adults at risk of falls. With positive outcomes and favourable participant engagement, WE-SURF™ holds the potential for wider implementation. Further research and scaling-up efforts are recommended to explore its broader applicability. (Registration number: ACTRN 12621001620819).

Indexed as

Accidental FallsExercise TherapyFeasibility StudiesAgedFemaleHumansIndependent LivingMaleMiddle AgedPostural BalanceFall preventionOlder adultsVirtual group-based exercise

Identifiers

PMID38836944
PMCPMC11153307

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.