Healthy ageing among older Aboriginal people: the Ironbark study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

Rebecca Ivers; Julieann Coombes; Catherine Sherrington; Tamara Mackean; Anne Tiedemann; Anne-Marie Hill; Lisa Keay; Lindy Clemson; Judy Simpson; Courtney Ryder; Rona Macniven; Kathleen Clapham; Ironbark Study Collaborators

doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043915

Healthy ageing among older Aboriginal people: the Ironbark study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

Inj Prev. 2020 Dec;26(6):581-587. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043915. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

Authors

Rebecca Ivers^{1

2}, Julieann Coombes², Catherine Sherrington³, Tamara Mackean^{2

4}, Anne Tiedemann³, Anne-Marie Hill⁵, Lisa Keay^{2

6}, Lindy Clemson⁷, Judy Simpson⁸, Courtney Ryder^{2

4}, Rona Macniven^{9

10}, Kathleen Clapham¹¹; Ironbark Study Collaborators

Collaborators

Ironbark Study Collaborators:
Robert Cumming, Kate Hunter, Kris Rogers, Marion Kickett, Anne-Marie Eades, Stephen Jan, Kirsten Howard, Josephine Gwynn, Kim Delbaere, Aaron Simon, Roland Wilson, Tracey Ma, Adam Howie, Carolyn Lewis, Georgia Stewart, Sallie Cairnduff

Affiliations

¹ School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia rebecca.ivers@unsw.edu.au.
² The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Southgate Institute for Health, Society, and Equity, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
⁵ School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁶ School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁷ Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁹ School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹¹ Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, Australian Health Services Research Institute, The University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 33028649
DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043915

Abstract

Introduction: Older Aboriginal people have a strong leadership role in their community including passing on knowledge and teachings around culture and connections to Country. Falls significantly affect older people and are a growing concern for older Aboriginal people and their families. Regular participation in balance and strength exercise has been shown to be efficacious in reducing falls. A pilot study developed in partnership with Aboriginal communities, the Ironbark: Standing Strong and Tall programme, demonstrated high community acceptability and feasibility, and gains in balance and strength in Aboriginal participants. This cluster randomised controlled trial will assess the effectiveness of the programme in reducing the rate of falls in older Aboriginal people.

Methods: We will examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Ironbark group-based fall prevention programme compared with a group-based social programme, with Aboriginal people aged 45 years and older in three Australian states. The primary outcome is fall rates over 12 months, measured using weekly self-reported data. Secondary outcomes measured at baseline and after 12 months include quality of life, psychological distress, activities of daily living, physical activity, functional mobility and central obesity. Differences between study groups in the primary and secondary outcomes at 12 months will be estimated.

Conclusion: This is the first trial to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a fall prevention programme for Aboriginal peoples aged ≥45 years. The study has strong cultural and community governance, including Aboriginal investigators and staff, and is guided by a steering committee that includes representatives of Aboriginal community-controlled services.

Trial registration number: ACTRN12619000349145.

Keywords: clustered analyses; economic analysis; fall; indigenous; older people; program evaluation.

Publication types

Clinical Trial Protocol
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Australia
Exercise Therapy
Healthy Aging*
Humans
Pilot Projects
Quality of Life
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Associated data

ANZCTR/ACTRN12619000349145