Evaluation of bottom-up interventions targeting community-dwelling frail older people in Belgium: methodological challenges and lessons for future comparative effectiveness studies

Table 2 Evaluation of balance of the BelRAI covariables between study arms by disability profile

Family carer	Low limit.			IADL (cogn.)			Func.			Func., cogn.			Func., cogn., behav.
Family carer	Without	Non-resident	Co-resident	Without	Non-resident	Co-resident	Without	Non-resident	Co-resident	Without	Non-resident	Co-resident	Without	Non-resident	Co-resident
Activities of Daily Life Scale (ADL)
smd	0.06	0.53	0.32	0.09	0.01	0.2	0.18	0.2	0.14	0.35	0.16	0.15	1.72	0.35	0.34
VR	1.11	1.73	1.95	1.88	1.64	1.03	1.03	1.73	2.26	2.67	1.15	1.43	–	1.68	1.37
Instrumental Activities of Daily Life Scale (IADL)
smd	0.11	0.36	0.19	0.3	0.05	0.29	0.21	0.11	0.39	0.36	0.01	0.05	1.26	0.35	0.51
VR	1.55	1.1	1.34	1.88	2.18	4.67	1.57	1.69	2.6	1.04	1	1.13	–	1	1.61
Cognitive Performance Scale (CPS)
smd	0.08	0.1	0.24	0.26	0	0.13	0.39	0.01	0	0.49	0.05	0.12	0.8	0.14	0.74
VR	1.11	1.16	1.03	1.84	1.47	1.59	3.96	1.2	1.01	1.5	1.07	1.18	–	2.21	2.01
Depression Rating Scale (DRS)
smd	0.57	0.25	0.25	0.27	0.16	0.2	0.03	0.02	0.04	0.44	0.2	0.1	1.44	0.14	0.08
VR	3.18	1.26	2.12	1.26	1.13	1.69	2.01	1.35	1.15	5.86	1.24	1.43	–	1.8	1.12
Aggressive Behavior Scale (ABS)
smd	0.32	0.2	0.18	0.32	0.12	0.06	0.36	0.16	0.02	0.6	0.26	0.24	0.66	0.13	0.01
VR	–	5.25	1.32	2.36	2.56	1.23	11.91	2.33	1.19	6.47	3.64	2.72	–	1.29	1.26
Average Standardized Mean Difference (SMD)	0.3	0.24	0.24	0.24	0.11	0.21	0.2	0.11	0.12	0.44	0.13	0.15	1.02	0.26	0.32
Geometric Mean Variance Ratio (GMVR)	1.44	1.65	1.56	1.74	1.66	1.6	2.52	1.5	1.42	2.87	1.44	1.42	–	1.54	1.38
Treated
N	740	965	335	267	1135	530	576	2234	1011	121	919	1276	29	214	431
Control
N	41	52	27	30	70	49	38	210	147	9	54	144	1	10	24

The evaluation of the balance of the BelRAI covariables was carried out for each of the propensity score models, that is, for each level of presence of an informal caregiver (without a family carer, with a non-resident family carer, with a co-resident family carer) within different disability profiles (Low limit. Low-level limitations, IADL (cogn.) IADL and low level of cognitive impairment, Func Functional limitations, Func., cogn. Functional & cognitive impairments, func., cogn., behav. Functional, cognitive & behavioural problems). smd Standardised mean difference, VR Variance ratio, SMD Average standardized mean difference, GMVR Geometric mean variance ratio, N Indicates the number of participants per group studied

ISSN: 1472-6963