title: Does a fall prevention educational programme improve knowledge and change exercise prescribing behaviour in health and exercise professionals? A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Falling in older age is a serious and costly problem. At least one in three older people fall annually. Although exercise is recognised as an effective fall prevention intervention, low numbers of older people engage in suitable programmes. Health and exercise professionals play a crucial role in addressing fall risk in older adults. This trial aims to evaluate the effect of participation in a fall prevention educational programme, compared with a wait-list control group, on health and exercise professionals' knowledge about fall prevention and the effect on fall prevention exercise prescription behaviour and confidence to prescribe the exercises to older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised controlled trial involving 220 consenting health and exercise professionals will be conducted. Participants will be individually randomised to an intervention group (n=110) to receive an educational workshop plus access to internet-based support resources, or a wait-list control group (n=110). The two primary outcomes, measured 3 months after randomisation, are: (1) knowledge about fall prevention and (2) self-perceived change in fall prevention exercise prescription behaviour. Secondary outcomes include: (1) participants' confidence to prescribe fall prevention exercises; (2) the proportion of people aged 60+ years seen by trial participants in the past month who were prescribed fall prevention exercise; and (3) the proportion of fall prevention exercises prescribed by participants to older people in the past month that comply with evidence-based guidelines. Outcomes will be measured with a self-report questionnaire designed specifically for the trial.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The trial protocol was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee, The University of Sydney, Australia. Trial results will be disseminated via peer reviewed journals, presentations at international conferences and participants' newsletters.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Trial protocol was registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Number ACTRN12614000224628) on 3 March 2014.
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Division, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiedemann
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Australia, The University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sturnieks
authors.affiliation: The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Clinical Excellence Commission, New South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lovitt
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clemson
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Australia, The University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Division, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sherrington
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*
keywords: EDUCATION & TRAINING (see Medical Education & Training); GERIATRIC MEDICINE; PREVENTIVE MEDICINE