Physical activity level is associated with gait performance and five times sit-to-stand in Parkinson's disease...

Physical activity (PA) level is decreased in individuals with Parkinson´s disease (PD). To increase the PA level improves both motor and non-motor symptoms of this population. It is known that gait performance and five times sit-to-stand (FTSTS) are associated with PA level; therefore, it is of great relevance for rehabilitation purposes to understand whether these variables may predict PA level of individuals with PD.

To investigate whether gait performance and FTSTS are predictors of PA level.

Cross-sectional study with individuals with idiopathic PD modified Hoehn and Yahr staging scale between 1.0 and 3.0. The gait performance was measured by Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) and PA level was measured by an accelerometer for one week, during day and night through their time spend in locomotion (locomotion time-LT). Multiple linear regression was conducted with gait performance and FTSTS as independent variables and PA level (LT) as dependent variable.

Twenty-two participants were included, mean age 64.82 (8.39) and the mean storage of accelerometer time was 9.866 min (0.33). Both gait performance and FTSTS have moderate significant correlation with PA level (r =  - 0.538 p < 0.01 and r = 0.625 p < 0.001, respectively). The linear regression model with FGA and FTSTS was significant (p < 0.05) and predicted 41% of LT.

Gait performance and FTSTS have important interaction with PA level measured by LT in individuals with PD, and it provides insights on the importance of these variables in predicting the PA level of its population.