title: Classifying physical activity research following stroke using the behavioral epidemiologic framework.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is a significant public health issue in the USA and a need emerges to better understand how to reduce an individual's co-morbidity risk. Physical activity is one approach to improving the health of individuals and comprehensive literature supports increased activity as a means to reduce risk of morbidity and mortality. One approach to examining whether research in a field is addressing a public health issue is through application of the behavioral epidemiological framework.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To classify physical activity research for individuals following stroke into distinct phases so that efforts can be made to systematically address gaps and disseminate evidence-based practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specific key words were identified and then searched through EBSCO host, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Physical activity and stroke literature from 2000-2014 was categorized into one of five discrete phases. Research in Phase 1 identified associations between activity and health; Phase 2 established valid measures of activity; Phase 3 examined determinants of behavior; Phase 4 evaluated activity interventions; and Phase 5 disseminated evidence-based practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A comprehensive review of literature identified 202 articles with 70% categorized in Phase 1 (n = 141), 11% in Phase 2 (n = 23), 10% in Phase 3 (n = 20), 8% in Phase 4 (n = 15), and 1% in Phase 5 (n = 3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that physical activity research for individuals following stroke is in the early stages of development with less than 10% of research evaluating or disseminating interventions.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cleveland
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Driver
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Swank
authors.forename: Staci
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macklin
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Cerebrovascular accident,; Exercise,; Fitness,; Review