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Published on: March 28, 2018
Sitting and Activity Time in People With Stroke
Coralie English1, Genevieve N Healy2, Alison Coates3
1C. English, PhD, International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, Sansom Institute of Health Research, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, PO Box 2471, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia, and Stroke Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Coralie.english@unisa.edu.au.
People with stroke spend more time sitting and less time active than healthy peers, increasing cardiovascular disease risk. Further research is needed to explore interventions for reducing sedentary behavior in this population.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Excessive sitting time is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease morbidity.
- Limited data exists on sedentary behavior patterns in individuals post-stroke.
- Understanding sitting time is crucial for stroke recovery and secondary prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and characterize sitting time accumulation in people with stroke.
- To compare physical activity levels and time use between stroke survivors and healthy controls.
- To investigate patterns of sedentary behavior in the stroke population.
Main Methods:
- Observational study design.
- Objective measurement of sitting time using activity monitors over 7 days.
- Assessment of physical activity and energy expenditure via accelerometers and multisensory armbands.
- Activity recall using the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adults (MARCA) tool.
Main Results:
- Stroke survivors (n=40) sat significantly longer (10.9 h/d) than healthy controls (8.2 h/d).
- Prolonged sitting (≥30 min bouts) was substantially higher in the stroke group (7.4 h/d vs 3.7 h/d).
- Stroke participants exhibited lower physical activity and energy expenditure compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Stroke survivors demonstrate increased sedentary time and reduced physical activity compared to age-matched peers.
- Convenience sampling may limit the generalizability of findings.
- Further research is warranted to assess the feasibility and clinical impact of reducing sitting time on cardiovascular risk in stroke survivors.
