Physical activity in hospitalised stroke patients

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Neurology
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability.
• Hospitalization following stroke presents a critical period for recovery and rehabilitation.
• Understanding physical activity patterns during hospitalization is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and quantify the amount and type of physical activity in hospitalized stroke patients.
• To identify factors associated with physical activity levels in this population.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of observational studies.
• Inclusion of 24 studies utilizing behavioral mapping, video recording, and therapist reports.
• Analysis of patient activity, location, and therapy session duration.

Main Results:

• Hospitalized stroke patients are predominantly inactive (median 48.1%) and spend most time alone (median 53.7%) and in their bedrooms (median 56.5%).
• Limited time is allocated to moderate to high physical activity, even during physiotherapy (median 63.2 min) and occupational therapy (median 57.0 min).
• Lower physical activity levels are observed in patients within 14 days post-stroke and those receiving conventional care.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity levels are significantly low among hospitalized stroke survivors.
• Enhanced methods for describing and classifying post-stroke physical activity are needed to facilitate data pooling.
• Further investigation into the benefits of increased physical activity and the efficacy of interventions post-stroke is warranted.