Returning to physical activity is a co
mmon goal for stroke survivors undergoing rehabilitation, and higher levels of activity have been linked to better gait and greater independence in activities of daily living. Our ai
m was to deter
mine if inpatient rehabilitation settings pro
moted higher levels of physical activity in stroke survivors than an acute stroke unit setting.
Methods
Stroke survivors were recruited from the inpatient rehabilitation wards of 4 different hospitals in southern Sweden and from the acute stroke unit at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. Participants were observed for 1 minute every 10 minutes from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. At each observation, the person's highest level of physical activity, location, and other people present were recorded.
Results
We collected data from 190 stroke survivors (104 rehabilitation, 86 acute). Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no significant difference between the groups in the amount of time spent in moderate-to-high physical activity (rehabilitation median 24%, acute median 23%; adjusted m>Pm> = .74). Compared to those in the acute setting, participants in the rehabilitation setting spent less time lying in bed, more time sitting supported out of bed, less time in their bedroom, and more time with a therapist (all adjusted m>Pm> < .001).
Conclusion
In the context of stroke, the inpatient rehabilitation environment does not appear to promote higher levels of physical activity than the acute hospital environment.