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Standing Tall - a home-based exercise program using mobile technology for preventing falls in older people

Evaluating the effect of a home-based exercise program delivered through mobile technology for preventing falls in older community-dwelling people over 2 years, compared to a health promotion education ‘control’ program. The 'Standing Tall' randomized control trial.

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ANZCTR
Registry ID
ACTRN12615000138583
Acronym
Standing Tall
Enrollment
510
Registered
2015-02-13
Start date
2015-02-17
Completion date
2017-10-13
Last updated
2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Accidental falls remain an important problem for older people. Exercise has proven to be the single most effective intervention to reduce falls. However, sustained adherence to these interventions is poor. Our Standing Tall program is designed in line with evidence-based, best-practice principles for fall prevention that will not only aim to improve balance and reduce falls but also has the potential to maximize long-term adherence.

Interventions

The intervention consists of balance training delivered through a tablet computer in people’s homes. Participants will be asked to do the balance exercises unsupervised for at least two hours per week for 2 years. The exercises will be tailored to the participant’s balance abilities for the duration of the trial. * Dose will gradually increase from 40 min per week (week 1,2), to 60 min (week 3,4), 80 min (week 5,6), 100 min (week 7, 8) and 120 min from week 9 onwards. Participants will be enco

The intervention consists of balance training delivered through a tablet computer in people’s homes. Participants will be asked to do the balance exercises unsupervised for at least two hours per week for 2 years. The exercises will be tailored to the participant’s balance abilities for the duration of the trial. * Dose will gradually increase from 40 min per week (week 1,2), to 60 min (week 3,4), 80 min (week 5,6), 100 min (week 7, 8) and 120 min from week 9 onwards. Participants will be encouraged to undertake at least 120 min per week for the trial duration. * Intensity of the balance exercises is adjusted as performance improves to ensure that exercises remain challenging. Progression of training intensity is guided by an inbuilt coach based on data from recent training activity. STUDY PROTOCOL * Participants will receive a tablet computer with the 'Standing Tall' balance training program and exercise equipment (foam mat, box, exercise mat). * During an initial home visit (~2 hours), the exercise trainer (exercise physiologist or physiotherapist) will explain to the participant how to use the 'Standing Tall' program. The exercise trainer will perform an initial balance assessment to ensure that the exercises are tailored to the participant's balance abilities and deliver balance training instructions. The exercise trainer will also explain how to use other features of the Standing Tall app; such as scheduling exercises, tracking progress, setting goals, accessing additional information. * Participants will receive a follow-up home visit at 4 weeks (~1 hour) to ensure safe use and progression of training and discuss any issues related to using the program. * Participant adherence (training volume, frequency) will be monitored following automatic data transfer to a server, and will be examined weekly. Participants are reminded of their training dose within the app. Participants not engaging in the minimum weekly training dose for 2 consecutive weeks will be contacted by telephone to discuss any issues and to encourage adherence for the first 6 months. * Phone support will be available and additional home visits will be offered as needed/requested for the entire duration of the study (i.e. 2 years).

Sponsors

Dr Kim Delbaere
Lead SponsorIndividual

Study design

Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All
Age
70 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* 70 years of age or older * Living in the community * English-speaking * Independent in activities of daily living * Able to walk household distances without the use of a walking aid * Willingness to give informed consent and comply with the study protocol

Exclusion criteria

* Unstable or acute medical condition that precludes exercise participation * Progressive neurological condition (such as Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Meniere Disease) * Cognitively impaired defined as a Pfeiffer Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) score <8 * Currently participating in a fall prevention program

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ANZCTR · Data processed: Feb 15, 2026