A Location-Based Objective Assessment of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Ambulatory Hemodialysis Patients

Dialysis patients have reduced moderate to vigorous physical activity, and light physical activity. This has been shown in self-reported surveys and objective accelerometer studies. Less attention has been directed toward sedentary behavior, which is characterized by low energy expenditure (≤1.5 metabolic equivalents). Furthermore, locations where physical activity and sedentary behavior occur are largely unknown for dialysis patients.

The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, and sedentary behavior for hemodialysis patients; (2) to describe differences in moderate to vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, and sedentary behavior comparing dialysis versus nondialysis days; and (3) to describe the locations where moderate to vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, and sedentary behavior occur using global positioning system (GPS) data.

Cross-sectional study.

The study was performed at a tertiary care hospital in Nova Scotia, Canada.

A total of 50 adult in-center hemodialysis patients consented to the study.

Physical activity and sedentary behavior were measured with an Actigraph-GT3X accelerometer. Location was determined using a Qstarz BT-Q1000X GPS receiver.

Minutes of daily activity were described as was percentage of wear time for each activity level across different locations during waking hours. Physical activity intensity, quantity, and location were also analyzed according to dialysis vs nondialysis days.

Forty-three patients met requirements for accelerometer analysis, of whom 42 had GPS data. Median wear time was 836.5 min/day (interquartile range [IQR]: 788.3-918.3). Median minutes of daily wear time spent in sedentary behavior, light physical activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity was 636 minutes (IQR: 594.1-730.1), 178 minutes (IQR: 144-222.1), and 1.6 minutes (IQR: 0.6-7.7), respectively. Proportion of daily wear time spent in sedentary behavior, light physical activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity was 78.4% (IQR: 70.7-84.0), 21.5% (IQR: 16.0-26.9), and 0.2% (IQR: 0.1-1.1), respectively. Home was the dominant location for total linked accelerometer-GPS time (59.4%, IQR: 46.9-69.5) as well as for each prespecified level of activity. Significantly more sedentary behavior and less light physical activity occurred on dialysis days compared with nondialysis days (P ≤ .01, respectively). Moderate to vigorous physical activity did not differ significantly between dialysis and nondialysis days.

Small sample size from a single academic center may limit generalizability. Difficult to engage population as less than half of eligible dialysis patients provided consent. Physical activity may have been underestimated as devices were not worn for all waking hours or aquatic activities, and hip-based accelerometers may not capture stationary exercise.

Ambulatory, in-center hemodialysis patients exhibit substantial sedentary behavior and minimal physical activity across a limited range of locations. Given the sedentary tendencies of this population, focus should be directed on increasing physical activity at any location frequented. Home-based exercise programs may serve as a potential adjunct to established intradialytic-based therapies given the amount of time spent in the home environment.