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

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Objective measurement of activity patterns in continuing care residents is limited.
• Understanding activity levels is crucial for maintaining health and function in older adults.
• Previous research often relies on subjective measures, lacking accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the activity performance of continuing care residents using objective accelerometry.
• To explore correlations between activity performance and grip strength, falls, and mobility.
• To compare activity levels of continuing care residents with other older adult populations.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory study involving 24 continuing care residents (mean age 82.3 years).
• Objective activity monitoring using the activPAL uniaxial accelerometer for an average of 12.60 hours daily.
• Assessment of grip strength, fall history, and mobility alongside activity data.

Main Results:

• Residents spent a median of 0.47 hours stepping, with a median of 1906 steps per day.
• Participants were inactive (sitting/lying/standing) for a mean of 11.99 hours daily.
• No statistically significant correlations were found between activity metrics (active/inactive time, step count) and grip strength, falls, or mobility.

Conclusions:

• Continuing care residents exhibit significantly lower activity levels compared to community-dwelling older adults or older adults with cancer.
• Objective accelerometry reveals a sedentary lifestyle in ambulatory older adults residing in continuing care centers.
• Further research is needed to identify interventions to improve activity and mitigate risks associated with sedentary behavior in this demographic.