title: Physical Activity Levels During Acute Inpatient Admission After Hip Fracture are Very Low.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hip fractures are very common in older adults and result in serious health consequences. Early mobilization post-surgical intervention for hip fractures is very important. The purpose of this study was to determine physical activity levels during an acute inpatient admission of patients after surgery for hip fracture.
  
  
  METHODS
  The observational study was completed on an orthopaedic ward in an acute general hospital. Twenty patients (18 women, mean age ± standard deviation, 79.1 ± 9.3 years) post-surgical intervention for a hip fracture were included. Physical activity levels were measured using an accelerometer to record the percentage of time spent in lying/sitting, standing and walking, number of steps taken and average energy expenditure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical activity levels were extremely low, with participants spending an average of 99% of the day either lying or sitting and a little more than 1% of the day either standing or walking (16 min). Participants took an average of 35.7 ± 80.4 steps per day. Patients received more physiotherapy intervention on weekdays compared with weekends. There was no significant difference in activity levels between weekdays to weekends. No measures of physical activity were associated with length of stay. A mild to moderate association (r = 0.26-0.41) was observed between the measures of physical activity and the amount of physiotherapy received during the weekdays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical activity levels during an acute inpatient admission surgery for hip fracture are very low. Patients may have difficulty completing basic activities of daily living post-discharge into the community. Physical activity should be optimized as early in the rehabilitation process as able.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Maroondah Hospital, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Maroondah Hospital, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Meaghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Maroondah Hospital, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Maroondah Hospital, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Amie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schenck
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Maroondah Hospital, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Batten
authors.affiliation: Allied Health Clinical Research Office, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.|Department of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D015331:Cohort Studies; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
keywords: early intervention; exercise; orthopaedics; physiotherapy