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Table 1 Framework for coding used to develop interventions (nodes) for the network meta-analyses

From: Falls prevention interventions for community-dwelling older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of benefits, harms, and patient values and preferences

Intervention type

Variables used for full networksa

Possible number of nodes

Nodes used in at least one NMA (node number)

Control groups

 Usual care (UC)

None

1

UC (main comparator for all NMAs) (1)

 Information (pamphlet on falls risk)

None

1

Information (2)

 Attention control (social visits/engagement, gentle stretching, session(s) on healthy lifestyle, etc.)

None

1

Attention control (3)

Single-component interventions

 Active education

• Individual vs. group/mixed delivery

• Intensity (1-2 sessions or ≤ 4 h vs. more intense)

4

Ed + Indv + Low (9)

Ed + Indv + High (10)

Ed + Grp + Low (11)

Ed + Grp + High (12)

 Exercise—balance/resistance

• Supervised (for > 2 sessions) vs. not (≤ 2 sessions)

• Individual vs. group/mixed delivery

• Virtual vs. offline (in-person)

• Duration (≤ 3 [brief] vs. > 3 mos [long])

• Intensity of supervision (≤ 1 [low] vs. > 1 contact/week [high] (mean across total intervention duration, among long duration programs)

22

Bal/Res + Sup + Ind + Offlineb + Brief (13)

Bal/Res + SupH + Ind + Offline + Long (15)

Bal/Res + SupL + Ind + Offline + Long (16)

Bal/Res + SupH + Grp + Virt + Long (17)

Bal/Res + Sup + Grp + Offline + Brief (18)

Bal/Res + SupH + Grp + Offline + Long (19)

Bal/Res + SupL + Grp + Offline + Long (20

Bal/Res + Uns + Ind + Offline + Brief (21)

Bal/Res + Uns + Ind + Offline + Long (22)

 Exercise—walking program (may include basic treadmill exercise)

• Supervised (for > 2 sessions) vs. not (≤ 2 sessions)

• Individual vs. group/mixed delivery

• Virtual vs. offline (in-person)

• Duration of intervention (≤ 3 vs. > 3 mos)

16

Walk + Sup + Grp + Offline + Brief (23)

Walk + Uns + Ind + Offline + Long (24)

 Exercise—Tai Chi

• Supervised (for > 2 sessions) vs. not (≤ 2 sessions)

• Individual vs. group/mixed delivery

• Virtual vs. offline (in-person)

• Duration of intervention (≤ 3 vs. > 3 mos)

16

Tai chi + Sup + Ind + Offline + Long (25)

Tai chi + Sup + Grp + Offline + Brief (26)

Tai chi + Sup + Grp + Offline + Long (27)

 Exercise—other (e.g., square stepping, yoga, dance, aquatic)

• Supervised (for > 2 sessions) vs. not (≤ 2 sessions)

• Individual vs. group/mixed delivery

• Virtual vs. offline (in-person)

• Duration of intervention (≤ 3 vs. > 3 mos)

16

Other + Sup + Ind + Offline + Brief (28)

Other + Sup + Ind + Offline + Long (29)

Other + Sup + Grp + Offline + Brief (30)

Other + Sup + Grp + Offline + Long (31)

Other + Uns + Ind + Offline + Long (32)

 Medication review

• All-comers/universal vs. restricted/targeted to those at high risk/polypharmacy

• Comprehensive (multiple medications) vs. focused (1-2 medication classes)

4

Med Review + All + Comp (36)

Med Review + Targeted + Comp (37)

 Vitamin D

• None: All doses and/or frequency/delivery routes were combined

1

Vit. D (8)

 Home hazard assessment (HHA)

• Comprehensive (≥3 assessment home features) vs. limited (1–2 features)

• Modifications provided or self-purchased

• Intensity/dose (1 [low] vs. ≥ 2 home visits [high])

8

HHA + Comp + Provider + High (33)

HHA + Comp + Provider + Low (34)

HHA + Comp + Self + Low (35)

 EAT—mobility aid or device (EAT = environment/assistive technology)

• None

1

Mobility aid (4)

 EAT—communication aids (alarm to prevent falls)

• None

1

None

 EAT—vision assessment & treatment

• All-comers/universal vs. restricted to those with vision problems

2

VAT—all-comers (5)

VAT—targeted (6)

 Psychological interventions (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT))

• Duration of intervention (≤ 3 vs. > 3 mos)

2

CBT—long (38)

CBT—brief (29)

 Nutritional counselling

• None

1

None

 Other

• E.g., sunlight intervention, chiropractic, whole-body vibration (WBV)

1 per type

WBV (7)

Multicomponent (MC) interventions

 MC with exercise

• Walking vs. other exercise type

• Supervised exercise (Y/N)

• Complexity (only adding education [simple] vs. other(s))

• Requires ≥1 modifications (HHA or device) (Y/N)

12

Walk + Sup + Education (40)

Exercise + Sup + Complex + HHA (41)

Exercise + Sup + Complex + No mod (42)

Exercise + Sup + Education (43)

Exercise + Uns + Education (44)

Exercise + Uns + Complex + HHA (45)

Exercise + Uns + Complex + No mod (46)

 MC without exercise

• Potentially requires ≥1 modifications (HHA or device) (Y/N)

2

HHA + Other (47)

MC other (no HHA or exercise) (48)

Multifactorial (MF) interventions

 Comprehensive (4 + assessment domains)

• Major focus on exercise (Y/N) (coded as no if lack of information reported about duration, intensity, type, etc.)

• Potentially requires ≥1 modifications (HHA or device) (Y/N)

4

MF + Comp + Focus on exc + HHA (49)

MF + Comp + Ltd exc + HHA (50)

MF + Comp + Ltd exc + No mod (51)

 Limited

• Major focus on exercise (Y/N)

• Potentially requires ≥1 modifications (HHA or device) (Y/N)

4

MF + Ltd + Focus on exc + No mod (52)

MF + Ltd + Ltd exc + HHA (53)

Mixed interventions (MF assessment + additional component delivered to everyone)

 Mixed: MF comprehensive (≥4 intervention components) + other

• Adding education only

• Adding exercise only

• Adding HHA or device only

• Adding exercise + HHA/device

• Other

5

Mixed + MF Comp + Educ (54)

Mixed + MF Comp + Exc (55)

Mixed + MF Comp + HHA (56)

Mixed + MF Comp + Exc + HHA (57)

Mixed + MF Comp + Other (58)

 Mixed: MF limited + other

• Adding education only

• Adding exercise only

• Adding HHA or device only

• Adding exercise + HHA/device

• Other

5

Mixed + MF Ltd + HHA (59)

Mixed + MF Ltd + Exc + HHA (60)

  1. Abbreviations: CBT cognitive behavioral therapy, Comp comprehensive, HHA Home Hazard Assessment, Ltd limited, MC multicomponent, MF multifactorial, mos months, UC usual care, VAT visual assessment and treatment, WBV whole-body vibration
  2. aFor the simplified meta-regressions, we used one node per intervention type (left column) with the following exceptions: (i) we used supervised vs. not for balance/resistance exercise interventions, (ii) we combined all multifactorial interventions into one node, and (iii) we combined all mixed interventions into one node
  3. bOffline, in-person