Increasing physical activity in stroke survivors using STARFISH, an interactive mobile phone application: a pilot...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Stroke survivors often experience reduced physical activity and increased sedentary behavior, negatively impacting recovery.
• Mobile applications offer a promising avenue for supporting health behavior change in this population.
• The STARFISH app was developed using evidence-based behavior change techniques like feedback, self-monitoring, and social support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the STARFISH mobile app intervention in improving physical activity and health outcomes for stroke survivors.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 23 stroke survivors allocated to either the STARFISH intervention group (n=15) or a control group (n=8) for six weeks.
• The intervention group utilized the STARFISH app, incorporating visualized physical activity feedback.
• Outcome measures included physical activity, sedentary time, fatigue, and quality of life assessments.

Main Results:

• The STARFISH group showed a significant increase in daily step count (39.3%) and walking time compared to the control group.
• A significant reduction in fatigue was observed in the intervention group.
• No significant group-time interactions were found for other measured outcomes such as heart rate, blood pressure, or BMI.

Conclusions:

• The STARFISH app demonstrates potential for improving physical activity and health outcomes in individuals post-stroke.
• Further long-term intervention trials are recommended to confirm these findings and explore sustained benefits.