title: Hospital differences in motor activity early after stroke: a comparison of 11 Norwegian stroke units.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activity levels in patients early after stroke vary across the world. The primary aim of this study was to assess the variation in motor activity in patients admitted to multiple Norwegian stroke units and to identify factors which explained the variation between hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible patients were those less than 14 days after stroke, more than 18 years, not receiving palliative care. Activity levels, people present, and location were recorded by the use of a standard method of observation between 8 am and 5 pm. Hospital policy on serving meals in communal areas was also registered. Mixed general binomial model was used to analyze, which factors explained variation in activity levels between hospitals, after adjusting for age and stroke severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 393 patients from 11 stroke units were included. The patients spent 44.1% of the day in bed, 43.2% sitting out of bed, and 8.3% in higher motor activities (4.4% were not observed). Increased physical activity was associated with spending more time with a physical therapist, odds ratio (OR), 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.08, P < .001) and admitted to a hospital serving the meals in communal areas, OR, 1.46 (95% CI, 1.09-1.95, P = .011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite variation between the hospitals, patients admitted to Norwegian stroke units spend most of the day out of bed. Time spent with a physical therapist and hospitals having a policy of serving meals in communal areas explained most of the variation in activity between hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; The Stroke Unit, Department of Medicine, St Olavs Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: anne.hokstad@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hokstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; The Stroke Unit, Department of Medicine, St Olavs Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Bent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Indredavik
authors.affiliation: Stroke Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, Bærum Hospital, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Bærum, Norway.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Bærum Hospital, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Bærum, Norway.
authors.forename: Hege
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihle-Hansen
authors.affiliation: Unit for Applied Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Øyvind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Salvesen
authors.affiliation: Consultant Medical Department, Ålesund Hospital, Møre and Romsdal Health Trust, Ålesund, Norway.
authors.forename: Yngve Müller
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Seljeseth
authors.affiliation: Namsos Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Namsos, Norway.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schüler
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital in Northern Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Torgeir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Engstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Faculty of Health Education and Social Work, Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Torunn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Askim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009664:Norway; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Stroke; physical activity; rehabilitation; stroke units