Abstract
Objective
To characterize community ambulation and determine if it changes across the first
6 months after discharge from hospital after stroke.
Design
Prospective, observational study.
Setting
Community setting.
Participants
Subacute stroke survivors with no cognitive impairment or conditions limiting mobility
prior to stroke (N=34).
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Community ambulation was measured by an accelerometer, Global Positioning System,
and activity diary. Measures included the following: volume (step count; time spent
in the community, lying/sitting, standing, and walking), frequency (number of community
trips; number of and time in short-, medium-, long-duration bouts), intensity (number
of and time at low-, moderate-, high-intensity bouts), and trip type at 1, 3, and
6 months after hospital discharge.
Results
At 1 month participants took on average 1 trip per day in the community, lasting 137±113
minutes. Overall, most community ambulation was spread across long-duration bouts
(>300 steps) lasting 11.3 to 14.1min/d and moderate-intensity bouts (30–80 steps per
minute). There was no change in community ambulation trip type (P<.302) or ambulation characteristics over time except for a greater number of and
time spent in long ambulation bouts at 6 months only (P<.027).
Conclusions
Total volume and intensity of community ambulation did not change over the first 6
months postdischarge after stroke. However, at 6 months, survivors spent more time
in long-duration ambulation bouts. Review of stroke survivors at 6 months after hospital
discharge is suggested because this is when changes in community ambulation may first
be observed.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
GPS (Global Positioning System)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 12, 2016
Footnotes
Supported by The Prince Charles Hospital Research Foundation (grant no. SEQ2012-04).
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
