title: Poststroke Physical Activity Levels No Higher in Rehabilitation than in the Acute Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Returning to physical activity is a common goal for stroke survivors undergoing rehabilitation, and higher levels of activity have been linked to better gait and greater independence in activities of daily living. Our aim was to determine if inpatient rehabilitation settings promoted higher levels of physical activity in stroke survivors than an acute stroke unit setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stroke survivors were recruited from the inpatient rehabilitation wards of 4 different hospitals in southern Sweden and from the acute stroke unit at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. Participants were observed for 1 minute every 10 minutes from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. At each observation, the person's highest level of physical activity, location, and other people present were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We collected data from 190 stroke survivors (104 rehabilitation, 86 acute). Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no significant difference between the groups in the amount of time spent in moderate-to-high physical activity (rehabilitation median 24%, acute median 23%; adjusted P = .74). Compared to those in the acute setting, participants in the rehabilitation setting spent less time lying in bed, more time sitting supported out of bed, less time in their bedroom, and more time with a therapist (all adjusted P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the context of stroke, the inpatient rehabilitation environment does not appear to promote higher levels of physical activity than the acute hospital environment.
authors: Centre of Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Åstrand
authors: Centre of Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Charlie
authors: C
authors: Saxin
authors: Centre of Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Sjöholm
authors: Centre of Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Skarin
authors: Centre of Brain Research and Rehabilitation, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Linden
authors: Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Agneta
authors: A
authors: Stoker
authors: Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Sassa
authors: S
authors: Roshandel
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Åsa
authors: Å
authors: Dedering
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Halvorsen
authors: Stroke Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Bernhardt
authors: Stroke Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: toby.cumming@florey.edu.au.
authors: Toby
authors: T
authors: Cumming
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019370:Observation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Cerebrovascular disease; behavioral mapping; exercise; inactivity