title: Examining the steps-per-day trajectories of cardiac rehabilitation patients: a latent class growth analysis perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research suggests that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients need to engage in at least 6500 steps per day to obtain health benefits. Unfortunately, very little is known about the steps-per-day trajectories of these patients and whether the demographic, clinical, and CR program characteristics are similar for these trajectories.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 235) completed a questionnaire assessing demographic and clinical variables upon entry to CR and subsequently wore a pedometer for 7 days at the end of CR, and 3, 6, and 9 months after completing CR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latent class growth analyses showed that 3 classes of patients emerged that were termed nonadherers (averaged ∼3112 steps per day at the end of CR and remained stable up to 9 months after CR), significant decliners (averaged ∼7010 steps per day at the end of CR and steadily declined after CR), and optimal adherers (averaged ∼10 700 steps per day and remained stable after CR). Logistic regressions showed that nonadherers were more likely to be obese, have at least 1 comorbidity, and a lower exercise capacity compared with the significant decliners/optimal adherers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distinct steps-per-day trajectories exist for CR patients that are partially distinguished by demographic and clinical variables.
authors: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology (Drs Blanchard and Giacomantonio), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Bridgepoint Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Dr Lyons); New Brunswick Heart Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada (Ms Cyr); Behavioral Medicine Laboratory, Faculty of Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (Dr Rhodes); Minto Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre, Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Dr Reid); Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Dr Spence); and School of Human Kinetics, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (Dr McGannon).
authors: Chris M
authors: CM
authors: Blanchard
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Giacomantonio
authors: Renee
authors: R
authors: Lyons
authors: Cleo
authors: C
authors: Cyr
authors: Ryan E
authors: RE
authors: Rhodes
authors: Robert D
authors: RD
authors: Reid
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Spence
authors: Kerry R
authors: KR
authors: McGannon
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking