Alessandro Bosco

Dr. Alessandro Bosco

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

9Years (2018-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 September 2020 in Preventive Medicine Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
CLClaudio Di Lorito
Claudio Di Lorito
ABAlessandro Bosco
Alessandro Bosco
VBVicky Booth
Vicky Booth
SGSarah Goldberg
Sarah Goldberg
RHRowan H. Harwood
Rowan H. Harwood
VWVeronika Van der Wardt
Veronika Van der Wardt
• This literature review is on adherence to exercise interventions. • It focuses on people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) • Forty-one studies are included in the review. • Mean adherence is 70%. It does not differ between participants with dementia and MCI. • Interventions with endurance/resistance elements yield higher adherence.

5 January 2024 in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SLSharon R Lewis
Sharon R Lewis
LMLisa McGarrigle
Lisa McGarrigle
MPMichael W Pritchard
Michael W Pritchard
ABAlessandro Bosco
Alessandro Bosco
YYYang Yang
Yang Yang
CTChris Todd
Chris Todd
Background Around one‐third of older adults aged 65 years or older who live in the community fall each year. Interventions to prevent falls can be designed to target the whole community, rather than selected individuals. These population‐level interventions may be facilitated by different healthcare, social care, and community‐level agencies. They aim to tackle the determinants that lead to risk of falling in older people, and include components such as community‐wide polices for vitamin D supplementation for older adults, reducing fall hazards in the community or people's homes, or providing public health information or implementation of public health programmes that reduce fall risk (e.g. low‐cost or free gym membership for older adults to encourage increased physical activity). Objectives To review and synthesise the current evidence on the effects of population‐based interventions for preventing falls and fall‐related injuries in older people. We defined population‐based interventions as community‐wide initiatives to change the underlying societal, cultural, or environmental conditions increasing the risk of falling. Search methods We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, three other databases, and two trials registers in December 2020, and conducted a top‐up search of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Embase in January 2023. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs, trials with stepped‐wedge designs, and controlled non‐randomised studies evaluating population‐level interventions for preventing falls and fall‐related injuries in adults ≥ 60 years of age. Population‐based interventions target entire communities. We excluded studies only targeting people at high risk of falling or with specific comorbidities, or residents living in institutionalised settings. Data collection and analysis We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane, and used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence. We prioritised seven outcomes: rate of falls, number of fallers, number of people experiencing one or more fall‐related injuries, number of people experiencing one or more fall‐related fracture, number of people requiring hospital admission for one or more falls, adverse events, and economic analysis of interventions. Other outcomes of interest were: number of people experiencing one or more falls requiring medical attention, health‐related quality of life, fall‐related mortality, and concerns about falling. Main results We included nine studies: two cluster RCTs and seven non‐randomised trials (of which five were controlled before‐and‐after studies (CBAs), and two were controlled interrupted time series (CITS)). The numbers of older adults in intervention and control regions ranged from 1200 to 137,000 older residents in seven studies. The other two studies reported only total population size rather than numbers of older adults (67,300 and 172,500 residents). Most studies used hospital record systems to collect outcome data, but three only used questionnaire data in a random sample of residents; one study used both methods of data collection. The studies lasted between 14 months and eight years. We used Prevention of Falls Network Europe (ProFaNE) taxonomy to classify the types of interventions. All studies evaluated multicomponent falls prevention interventions. One study (n = 4542) also included a medication and nutrition intervention. We did not pool data owing to lack of consistency in study designs. Medication or nutrition Older people in the intervention area were offered free‐of‐charge daily supplements of calcium carbonate and vitamin D3. Although female residents exposed to this falls prevention programme had fewer fall‐related hospital admissions (with no evidence of a difference for male residents) compared to a control area, we were unsure of this finding because the certainty of evidence was very low. This cluster RCT included high and unclear risks of bias in several domains, and we could not determine levels of imprecision in the effect estimate reported by study authors. Because this evidence is of very low certainty, we have not included quantitative results here. This study reported none of our other review outcomes. Multicomponent interventions Types of interventions included components of exercise, environment modification (home; community; public spaces), staff training, and knowledge and education. Studies included some or all of these components in their programme design. The effectiveness of multicomponent falls prevention interventions for all reported outcomes is uncertain. The two cluster RCTs included high or unclear risk of bias, and we had no reasons to upgrade the certainty of evidence from the non‐randomised trial designs (which started as low‐certainty evidence). We also noted possible imprecision in some effect estimates and inconsistent findings between studies. Given the very low‐certainty evidence for all outcomes, we have not reported quantitative findings here. One cluster RCT reported lower rates of falls in the intervention area than the control area, with fewer people in the intervention area having one or more falls and fall‐related injuries, but with little or no difference in the number of people having one or more fall‐related fractures. In another cluster RCT (a multi‐arm study), study authors reported no evidence of a difference in the number of female or male residents with falls leading to hospital admission after either a multicomponent intervention ("environmental and health programme") or a combination of this programme and the calcium and vitamin D3 programme (above). One CBA reported no difference in rate of falls between intervention and control group areas, and another CBA reported no difference in rate of falls inside or outside the home. Two CBAs found no evidence of a difference in the number of fallers, and another CBA found no evidence of a difference in fall‐related injuries. One CITS found no evidence of a difference in the number of people having one or more fall‐related fractures. No studies reported adverse events. Authors' conclusions Given the very low‐certainty evidence, we are unsure whether population‐based multicomponent or nutrition and medication interventions are effective at reducing falls and fall‐related injuries in older adults. Methodologically robust cluster RCTs with sufficiently large communities and numbers of clusters are needed. Establishing a rate of sampling for population‐based studies would help in determining the size of communities to include. Interventions should be described in detail to allow investigation of effectiveness of individual components of multicomponent interventions; using the ProFaNE taxonomy for this would improve consistency between studies.

CLClaudio Di Lorito
Claudio Di Lorito
Carol DuffCarol Duff
Carol Duff
CRCarol Rogers
Carol Rogers
JTJane Tuxworth
Jane Tuxworth
JBJocelyn Bell
Jocelyn Bell
RHRowan H. Harwood
Rowan H. Harwood
Introduction: The Promoting Activity, Independence and Stability in Early Dementia (PrAISED) is delivering an exercise programme for people with dementia. The Lincolnshire partnership National Health Service (NHS) foundation Trust successfully delivered PrAISED through a video-calling platform during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This qualitative case-study aimed to identify participants that video delivery worked for, to highlight its benefits and its challenges. Interviews were conducted between May and August 2020 with five participants with dementia and their caregivers (n = 10), as well as five therapists from the Lincolnshire partnership NHS foundation Trust. The interviews were analysed through thematic analysis. Results: Video delivery worked best when participants had a supporting caregiver and when therapists showed enthusiasm and had an established rapport with the client. Benefits included time efficiency of sessions, enhancing participants’ motivation, caregivers’ dementia awareness, and therapists’ creativity. Limitations included users’ poor IT skills and resources. Discussion: The COVID-19 pandemic required innovative ways of delivering rehabilitation. This study supports that people with dementia can use tele-rehabilitation, but success is reliant on having a caregiver and an enthusiastic and known therapist.


1 March 2019 in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
ABAlessandro Bosco
Alessandro Bosco
JSJustine Schneider
Justine Schneider
DCDonna Maria Coleston-Shields
Donna Maria Coleston-Shields
MOMartin Orrell
Martin Orrell