Anne Tiedemann

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at The University of Sydney

Questions: What motivates individuals to start a walking program for the prevention of low back pain? What strategies optimise short-term and long-term adherence to a walking program? What strategies can physiotherapists incorporate into clinical practice to facilitate commencement of and adherence to a walking program? Design: Qualitative study...

Background: Most reviews investigating physical activity interventions for older people consider evidence primarily from high-income countries. This review examined physical activity interventions for older people from low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We searched 9 electronic databases to identify randomized controlled trials or quasi-...

Background Exercise for the prevention of low back pain recurrences is recommended, but under-researched. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a walking program for preventing low back pain recurrence remains unknown. This a priori statistical analysis plan describes the methods of analysis for the WalkBack trial. Methods WalkBack is a pros...

Background Evidence supporting physical activity for older adults is strongly positive. Implementation and scale-up of these interventions need to consider the value for money. This scoping review aimed to assess the volume of (i) systematic review evidence regarding economic evaluations of physical activity interventions, and (ii) of cost utility...

Background: Digital technologies provide new opportunities to promote, incentivise and support physical activity as an essential component of healthy ageing, but their potential is yet to be fully realised. There is mixed information about older people’s capacity to use digital technologies to support physical activity, and about how it can benefit...

Background In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the first global physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines for children and adults living with disability. The evidence informing the guidelines though is not specific to people living with traumatic brain injury (TBI), but rather comes from other disabling conditions such...

Background Exercise for the prevention of low back pain recurrences is recommended, but under-researched. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a walking program for preventing low back pain recurrence remains unknown. This a priori statistical analysis plan describes the methods of analysis for the WalkBack Trial. Methods WalkBack is a pros...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing regulations have led to an increased risk of social isolation and physical inactivity, particularly among older adults. The benefits of physical activity for reducing fall risk and improving mood and mental functioning have been well documented. The aim of this trial is to investigat...

Background: Falls and fall-related health service use among older adults continue to increase. The New South Wales Health Department, Australia, is delivering the Stepping On fall prevention programme at scale. We compared fall-related health service use in Stepping On participants and matched controls. Methods: A non-randomised observational tr...

Objectives To summarise evidence of benefits of sport for health among people aged 60+. Design Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Data sources Medline, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database from inception to April 2021. Study selection RCTs investigating the effect of sport on health-r...

Background Evidence shows that promoting physical activity among older people without providing fall prevention advice may increase fall rates. The Coaching for Healthy AGEing (CHAnGE) trial measured the effect of a physical activity and fall prevention program on physical activity and falls among community-dwelling people aged 60+. Design Cluster...

Background Yoga may reduce fall risk in older age. The Successful AGEing (SAGE) yoga trial investigates the effect of yoga on falls among community-dweller people aged 60+. We conducted a process evaluation to gauge participants’ impressions of the supervised 40-week yoga program delivered face-to-face and/or online (due to COVID-19). Methods Part...

Background Yoga-based exercise is a promising strategy for promoting healthy ageing, with the potential to reduce falls and increase physical, cognitive and psychological wellbeing. Teleyoga (real-time yoga provided via interactive videoconferencing) can deliver yoga programs at scale, potentially reducing costs, increasing convenience, and reachin...

Objective: To investigate cost-effectiveness and costs of fall prevention exercise programmes for older adults. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, National Institute for Health Research Economic Evaluation Database, Health Technology Assessment database, Tufts Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry,...

Background The Active Women over 50 trial tested a scalable program for increasing physical activity among women aged 50+. The program included information, activity tracker and email support. This study sought to describe the participant perspectives of the Active Women over 50 program and considerations for designing physical activity interventio...

Background Physical activity mass media campaigns can deliver physical activity messages to many people, but it remains unclear whether they offer good value for money. We aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and costs of physical activity mass media campaigns. Methods A search for economic evaluations (trial- or model-based)...

Background Knowledge of which physical activity programs are most effective for older adults in different sub-populations and contexts is limited. The objectives of this rapid review were to: 1) Overview evidence evaluating physical activity programs/services for older adults; and 2) Describe impact on physical activity, falls, intrinsic capacity (...

Exercise that targets balance and strength is proven to prevent falls in older age. The Successful AGEing yoga trial is the first large randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of yoga on falls in people aged ≥60 years. We conducted a realist process evaluation to explain the strong participant engagement observed using interviews (21 parti...

Introduction: Exercise that challenges balance is proven to prevent falls in community-dwelling older people, yet widespread implementation and uptake of effective programmes is low. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised the evidence and evaluated the effect of eHealth-delivered exercise programmes compared with control on balance i...

Background: globally, falls and fall-related injuries are the leading cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality in older people. In our ageing society healthcare costs are increasing, therefore programmes that reduce falls and are considered value for money are needed. Objective: to complete an economic evaluation of an e-Health balance ex...

Objective: To investigate whether adding physical activity coaching and an activity monitor enhanced the effects of a group exercise program on pain intensity and disability for people with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Design: Randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis, and blinding of participants a...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing regulations have led to an increased risk of social isolation and physical inactivity, particularly among older adults. The benefits of physical activity for reducing fall risk and improving mood and mental functioning have been well documented. The aim of this trial is to investigat...

Background Falls are a significant public health issue. There is strong evidence that exercise can prevent falls and the most effective programs are those that primarily involve balance and functional exercises, however uptake of such programs is low. Exercise prescribed during home visits by health professionals can prevent falls however this stra...

Background Falls among older people are a major global health concern. This process evaluation investigates the experience of participants aged 60+ in a yoga program aimed at preventing falls which transitioned from studio-based classes to online classes in response to COVID-19 restrictions. We sought to understand how the Successful AGEing (SAGE)...

Objective: To understand health-care burden from fall-related injury, we investigated patterns of health service use in participants of the Australian statewide Stepping On fall prevention program. Methods: Routinely collected ambulance, emergency, hospital and mortality data for 9163 participants across NSW Local Health Districts between 2009 a...

Background There is currently little evidence of planning for real-world implementation of physical activity interventions. We are undertaking the ComeBACK (Coaching and Exercise for Better Walking) study, a 3-arm hybrid Type 1 randomised controlled trial evaluating a health coaching intervention and a text messaging intervention. We used an implem...

Regular physical activity benefits health across the lifespan. Women in middle-age often juggle carer and work responsibilities, are often inactive, and may benefit from tailored support to increase physical activity. Establish the acceptability, feasibility, and impact on physical activity of a scalable program for women 50+ years. This pilot tria...

Background: A randomised controlled trial implemented and evaluated a new model of care for non-transported older fallers to prevent future falls and unplanned health service use. This current study uses linked data to evaluate the effects of the intervention beyond the initial 12-month study period. Method: Study data from an established cohort...

Purpose This study aims to test the effect of an information and support intervention on physical activity (PA) in women aged 50+ years. Design Randomized wait-list controlled trial. Setting Sydney, Australia. Sample 126 female university and health service employees, aged 50+. Intervention Information session, activity tracker, regular motivat...

Background Intervention trials promoting physical activity among older people frequently report low and unrepresentative recruitment. Better understanding of reasons for participation can help improve recruitment. This study explored why participants enrolled in the Coaching for Healthy Ageing (CHAnGE) trial, including how their decision was influe...

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of walking/running, cycling or swimming for treating or preventing non-specific low back pain (LBP). Design: Intervention systematic review. Literature search: Five databases searched to April 2021. Study selection criteria: Randomized controlled trials evaluating walking/running, cycling or swimmi...

This third edition of a trusted resource brings together the latest literature across multiple fields to facilitate the understanding and prevention of falls in older adults. Thoroughly revised by a multidisciplinary team of authors, it features a new three-part structure covering epidemiology and risk factors for falls, strategies for prevention a...

This third edition of a trusted resource brings together the latest literature across multiple fields to facilitate the understanding and prevention of falls in older adults. Thoroughly revised by a multidisciplinary team of authors, it features a new three-part structure covering epidemiology and risk factors for falls, strategies for prevention a...

This third edition of a trusted resource brings together the latest literature across multiple fields to facilitate the understanding and prevention of falls in older adults. Thoroughly revised by a multidisciplinary team of authors, it features a new three-part structure covering epidemiology and risk factors for falls, strategies for prevention a...

Background This statistical analysis plan details the Coaching for Healthy AGEing (CHAnGE) trial analysis methodology. Objective To investigate the effect of a combined physical activity and fall prevention program on physical activity and falls compared to a healthy eating among people aged 60 years and over. Methods The CHAnGE trial is a pragma...

Purpose Hip fracture guidelines recommend early mobilisation, multidisciplinary care, physiotherapy and fall prevention interventions. This study documents mobilisation practices and physiotherapy interventions provided post-hip fracture in six countries. Materials and methods Physiotherapists from orthopaedic wards in Denmark, Australia, Spain, B...

Issue addressed The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing regulations have disproportionally impacted the health of older adults. Lifestyle interventions targeting physical activity, diet and fostering social connection may help to alleviate the potential negative health consequences. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and p...

Realist evaluation offers a valuable way to understand how interventions function and thus how they can be improved and locally adapted. Consequently, realist evaluation is increasingly conducted in parallel with intervention trials. It comprises a clear philosophical foundation and view of causality, pragmatic mixed data collection methods, and a...

Introduction: Therapeutic alliance, a goal-orientated partnership between clients and practitioners, can enhance program engagement and adherence, and improve treatment outcomes and satisfaction. Objectives: To develop an empirical model that describes how therapeutic alliances can be operationalized in clinical and research settings and use thi...

Background and purpose: With an aging population, falls have become an increasing public health concern. While face-to-face exercise programs have demonstrated efficacy in reducing falls, their effectiveness is hampered by low participation and adherence. Digital technologies are a novel and potentially effective method for delivering tailored fal...

Background To inform implementation and future research, this scoping review investigates the volume of evidence for physical activity interventions among adults aged 60+. Our research questions are: (1) what is the evidence regarding interventions designed to increase total physical activity in adults aged 60+ years, in accordance with three of th...

Objective With the growing representation of older adults in the workforce, the health and fitness of older employees are critical to support active ageing policies. This systematic review aimed to characterise and evaluate the effects on physical activity (PA) and fitness outcomes of workplace PA interventions targeting older employees. Design We...

Introduction Process evaluations examining programme implementation are often conducted in conjunction with effectiveness studies. Their inclusion in studies with Aboriginal participants can give an understanding of programme delivery in Aboriginal community contexts. The Ironbark: Standing Strong and Tall programme was codesigned with Aboriginal c...

Introduction Falls in older adults are associated with increased healthcare costs. Falls may be prevented or minimised with multifactorial interventions including exercise and behavioural modification. Objectives and Approach To describe the reach of the scale-up of Stepping On, a fall prevention program targeting community-dwellers aged 65 years...

Objectives To describe new WHO 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Methods The guidelines were developed in accordance with WHO protocols. An expert Guideline Development Group reviewed evidence to assess associations between physical activity and sedentary behaviour for an agreed set of health outcomes and population gro...

Background In July, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) commenced work to update the 2010 Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health and established a Guideline Development Group (GDG) comprising expert public health scientists and practitioners to inform the drafting of the 2020 Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behav...

Background Exercise prevents falls in older adults. Regular updates of estimated effects of exercise on falls are warranted given the number of new trials, the increasing number of older people globally and the major consequences of falls and fall-related injuries. Methods This update of a 2019 Cochrane Review was undertaken to inform the World He...

Introduction: Mobility limitation is common and often results from neurological and musculoskeletal health conditions, ageing and/or physical inactivity. In consultation with consumers, clinicians and policymakers, we have developed two affordable and scalable intervention packages designed to enhance physical activity for adults with self-reporte...

Objective: To evaluate the effect of walking promotion strategies on physical activity, pain, and function in people with musculoskeletal disorders. Design: Intervention systematic review with meta-analysis. Literature search: We performed the searches in MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Physiotherap...

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is recognised globally as a prevalent, costly and disabling condition. Recurrences are common and contribute to much of the burden of LBP. Current evidence favours exercise and education for prevention of LBP recurrence, but an optimal intervention has not yet been established. Walking is a simple, widely accessib...

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 b...

Introduction: Falls significantly reduce independence and quality of life in older age. Balance-specific exercise prevents falls in people aged 60+ years. Yoga is growing in popularity and can provide a high challenge to balance; however, the effect of yoga on falls has not been evaluated. This trial aims to establish the effect on falls of a yoga...

The Coaching for Healthy Ageing trial evaluated the impact on physical activity (PA) and falls based on a year-long intervention in which participants aged 60+ receive a home visit, regular health coaching by physiotherapists, and a free activity monitor. This interview study describes the participants' experiences of the intervention and ideas for...

Nearly a third of people aged over 65 years and over half of people older than 80 have a fall at least once a year. Falls and fall related injuries can be life changing and may result in chronic disability, admission to assisted living, or death. A fall can also precipitate a fear of falling, which may lead to restriction of activity and hence phys...

Issue addressed We describe the reach of the scale‐up of Stepping On, a fall prevention program targeting community‐dwellers aged ≥65 years in NSW, along with fall‐related ambulance service use and fall‐related hospitalisations after scale‐up. Methods Data on program provision were received from Local Health Districts. Routinely‐collected fall‐rel...

Background: Physical activity has many physical and mental health benefits and can delay the development of disability in older age. However, uptake of this health behaviour is sub-optimal in women in their middle and older age. This trial aims to establish the acceptability and feasibility of the Active Women over 50 programme involving online in...

Objectives Obesity is associated with an increased risk of falls in older women; however, it is not certain how body fat distribution affects this relationship. This study examined the association between android and gynoid obesity and the incidence of falls in women aged 60 years and over. Study design Participants were recruited from the communi...

Background Disability and falls are common following fall-related lower limb and pelvic fractures. Objective To evaluate the impact of an exercise self-management intervention on mobility-related disability and falls after lower limb or pelvic fracture. Design Randomized controlled trial. Participants Three hundred thirty-six community dwellers...

Background: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of falls in older women. However, it is not certain whether factors commonly associated with obesity and falls mediate this risk. Research question: Do lower-limb muscle quality, foot loads and postural control mediate the relationship between obesity and falls in women aged 60 years and olde...

Introduction Between 20% and 28% of community-dwelling older people experience a fall each year. Falls can result in significant personal and socioeconomic costs, and are the leading cause of admission to hospital for an older person in Australia. Exercise interventions that target balance are the most effective for preventing falls in community-dw...

Background: Older people's participation in structured exercise programs to improve balance and mobility is low. Senior Dance is an alternative option, as it may provide a safe and fun way of targeting balance. Objective: The aim was to investigate the effect of Senior Dance on balance, mobility, and cognitive function, compared with a control i...

Objective: The Stepping On program has been shown to prevent falls among community-dwelling people in a research setting and was implemented statewide by the New South Wales (NSW) Ministry of Health in 2008. This study measured ongoing fall prevention strategies and behaviours undertaken by Stepping On participants during the 6 months after program...

Objectives and importance of study: Exercise prevents falls among community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, it is crucial that health and exercise professionals have the knowledge and skills to prescribe appropriate fall prevention exercise. This study evaluated the effect of a fall prevention education program, compared with a waitlist control g...

Background and objectives: Frequent participation in physical activity (PA) has benefits across the lifespan but is particularly important for older adults. PA levels are either measured by objective or self-reported survey methods. Objective PA measurement is used to increase accuracy. This systematic review investigated the effect of physical ac...

Background: Falls are common among older people, and General Practitioners (GPs) could play an important role in implementing strategies to manage fall risk. Despite this, fall prevention is not a routine activity in general practice settings. The iSOLVE cluster randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate implementation of a fall prevention deci...

Objectives To assess the effects of exercise interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials evaluating the effects of any form of exercise as a single intervention on falls in people aged 60+years living in the community. Results Exercise reduces the rate of...

Introduction There is strong evidence that exercise prevents falls in community-dwelling older people. This review summarises trial and participant characteristics, intervention contents and study quality of 108 randomised trials evaluating exercise interventions for falls prevention in community-dwelling older adults. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, CEN...

Background Recent investigations suggest that obesity may be associated with an increased risk of falls; however, this theory has yet to be definitively confirmed. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the strength of the association between obesity and falls, multiple falls, fall-related injuries, and fall-related fractures among older...

Background: “Active Ageing” policy to delay retirement mean that maintaining the health and fitness of older employees has become increasingly important. This systematic review summarises the characteristics and effect on exercise and fitness outcomes of workplace physical activity (PA) interventions targeting older employees. Methods: Five online...

Background: There is compelling evidence that physical activity has many physical and mental health benefits and can delay the development of disability in older age. However, uptake of this health behaviour is sub-optimal in working women in their middle age. This trial aims to establish the impact of a low-dose information program, incorporating...

Background Older people are at high risk of physical inactivity. Activity trackers can facilitate physical activity. We aimed to investigate the effect of interventions using activity trackers on physical activity, mobility, quality of life and mental health among people aged 60+ years. Methods For this systematic review, we searched eight databas...

Objective To explore influences on referral for fall prevention from general practitioners (GPs) to allied health professionals (AHPs) to better equip AHPs engage with GPs regarding fall prevention. Methods Qualitative, semi‐structured interviews with GPs (n = 24), practice nurses (n = 3) and AHPs (n = 15) and field notes were analysed inductively...

To document the characteristics of participants aged 50 years and older in a local government group exercise program (Strong Seniors), to investigate the motivators and barriers to ongoing exercise, and to identify factors associated with more frequent exercise class attendance. Ninety-three participants completed a survey about exercise class atte...

Background Low back pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions and the highest contributor to disability in the world. It is characterized by frequent relapses leading to additional care-seeking. Engagement in leisure physical activity is associated with lower recurrences and better prognosis and potentially reduced care-seeking....

Background: At least one-third of community-dwelling people over 65 years of age fall each year. Exercises that target balance, gait and muscle strength have been found to prevent falls in these people. An up-to-date synthesis of the evidence is important given the major long-term consequences associated with falls and fall-related injuries OBJECT...

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the objectively measured mobility status of rural community‐dwelling older people and their use of formal and informal services. Design Observational cross‐sectional study. Setting Community volunteers, rural New South Wales, Australia. Participants Seventy communi...

Questions: In people aged ≥ 60 years, does a combined physical activity and fall prevention intervention affect physical activity and mobility-related goal attainment? Does the combined intervention also improve fall rates, daily steps, the proportion of people meeting the physical activity guidelines, quality of life, mood, fear of falling, and m...

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the validity of the QuickScreen© Clinical Falls Risk Assessment as a fall prediction tool in Brazilian community-dwelling older women. Method: 247 participants (68.1±6.2 years) underwent the QuickScreen© assessment, which includes assessment of the following eight factors related to falls: falls in the last...

Background Although vision impairment increases risk of falls, older people with vision impairment tend to be less active. The relationship between activity and falls is unclear. Objective To investigate the rate of falls for older people with vision impairment living in the community and to explore the relationship between falls and levels of act...

Background: While there is strong evidence that fall prevention interventions can prevent falls in people aged 65 and over, translating evidence into routine practice is challenging. Research regarding how allied health professionals (AHPs) respond to this challenge is limited. As part of the Integrated Solutions for Sustainable Fall Prevention (i...

Purpose Activity monitors have been used to objectively measure physical activity and its association with visual impairment in older adults. However, there is limited understanding of the accuracy of activity monitors in people with low vision. This study investigated the accuracy of an activity monitor compared with manual step counting in a low...

Despite the high risk of falls for older people with vision impairment, adherence to exercise-based fall prevention programs is low. We investigated the attitudes of older people with vision impairment to fall prevention programs as well as home modifications. This was completed through focus group and semi-structured interviews with 19 community-d...

Objectives: Healthy ageing has been unattainable for many of Australia’s First Nation people, driven by an earlier onset of chronic disease when compared to the general Australian population. Our objective was to examine the perspectives of Australian First Nation people about healthy ageing. Methods: We used a conversational method to gather knowl...

Objectives and importance of study: Yoga improves balance and mobility, and therefore has potential as a fall prevention strategy, yet its validity for preventing falls has not been established. The Otago Exercise Programme (OEP) and tai chi are proven to prevent falls. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions and preferences of older people to...

Background Falls are an emerging public health issue in India, with the impact set to rise as the population ages. We sought to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and likely impact of a yoga-based program aimed at improving balance and mobility for older residents in urban India. Methods Fifty local residents aged 60 years and older were recr...

Objective To determine the amount and nature of health professional education related to fall prevention for older adults in Australian and New Zealand universities. Methods Universities offering medicine, nursing and allied health courses were invited to complete an online survey enquiring about fall prevention course‐related information: topics;...

Objective: health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental well-being are associated with healthy ageing. Physical activity positively impacts both HRQOL and mental well-being. Yoga is a physical activity that can be modified to suits the needs of older people and is growing in popularity. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to d...

Introduction: Falling when older is a major public health issue. There is compelling evidence to show that specific exercise programs can reduce the risk and rate of falls in community-dwelling older people. Another major health issue for older people living in the community is upper limb dysfunction, including shoulder pain. Home-based exercise p...

Objective To determine the rate of falls reported by older community dwellers in Shenzhen, China and to identify fall-related risk factors. Method Participants were community dwellers residing in Shenzhen, China, who were aged 60 years and over and were recruited using multistage random sampling. All participants were surveyed about demographic an...