Measuring Activity Performance of Continuing Care Residents Using the activPAL: An Exploratory Study

Few studies have measured the activity patterns of continuing care residents using objective, uniaxial, accelerometers such as the activPAL. This exploratory study described the activity performance of continuing care residents and explored the correlation of activity performance with grip strength, falls and mobility. Data were gathered from 24 continuing care residents. Participants (82.3 ± 5.8 years of age), wore the activPAL an average of 12.60 hours per day (SD = 0.96) and were stepping for a median of 0.47 hours (25th and 75th percentiles = 0.31, 0.81) with a median step count of 1906 steps (25th and 75th percentiles = 1216, 3420). Participants were inactive (sitting/lying/standing) for a mean 11.99 hours (SD = 1.03). No statistically significant correlations were identified between activity performance (active time, inactive time or step count) and grip strength, falls or mobility. Ambulatory older adults in continuing care centres were more sedentary compared to community-dwelling older adults or older adults with cancer.