Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012:2012:813765.
doi: 10.1155/2012/813765. Epub 2011 Sep 28.

Physical activity in hospitalised stroke patients

Tanya West  1 , Julie Bernhardt
Affiliations

Physical activity in hospitalised stroke patients

Tanya West et al. Stroke Res Treat. 2012.

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to examine the amount and type of physical activity engaged in by people hospitalised after stroke. Method. We systematically reviewed the literature for observational studies describing the physical activity of stroke patients. Results. Behavioural mapping, video recording and therapist report are used to monitor activity levels in hospitalised stroke patients in the 24 included studies. Most of the patient day is spent inactive (median 48.1%, IQR 39.6%-69.3%), alone (median 53.7%, IQR 44.2%-60.6%) and in their bedroom (median 56.5%, IQR 45.2%-72.5%). Approximately one hour per day is spent in physiotherapy (median 63.2 minutes, IQR 36.0-79.5) and occupational therapy (median 57.0 minutes, IQR 25.1-58.5). Even in formal therapy sessions limited time is spent in moderate to high level physical activity. Low levels of physical activity appear more common in patients within 14 days post-stroke and those admitted to conventional care. Conclusions. Physical activity levels are low in hospitalised stroke patients. Improving the description and classification of post stroke physical activity would enhance our ability to pool data across observational studies. The importance of increasing activity levels and the effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity after stroke need to be tested further.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Physical activity across the day. 1 and 2 denote different time periods of observation; A, B, C, and D denote different hospital locations.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of time spent alone. 1 and 2 denote different time periods of observation; A, B, C, and D denote different hospital locations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Patient location. 1 and 2 denote different time periods of observation; A, B, C, and D denote different hospital locations; *bedside time includes time in lounge and dining areas.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Patient activity, people present, and location according to organisation of care and time after stroke. median and IQR.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Therapy activity. *Data pooled across sites by authors of original study.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Upper limb therapy. *Affected upper limb use across physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy time.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Horn SD, DeJong G, Smout RJ, Gassaway J, James R, Conroy B. Stroke rehabilitation patients, practice, and outcomes: is earlier and more aggressive therapy better? Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2005;86(12):S101–S114. - PubMed
    1. Indredavik B, Bakke F, Slørdahl SA, Rokseth R, Håheim LL. Treatment in a combined acute and rehabilitation stroke unit: which aspects are most important? Stroke. 1999;30(5):917–923. - PubMed
    1. Rønning OM, Guldvog B. Stroke unit versus general medical wards, II: neurological deficits and activities of daily living: a quasi-randomized controlled trial. Stroke. 1998;29(3):586–590. - PubMed
    1. Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party. National Clinical Guidelines for Stroke. 3rd edition. London, UK: Royal College of Physicians; 2008.
    1. National Stroke Foundation. Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management 2010. Melbourne, Australia: 2010.

LinkOut - more resources