title: Walking Activity of Older Patients in Rehabilitation: A Prospective Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify, using accelerometry, walking activity of older rehabilitation inpatients and to examine the relationship between walking activity and functional outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient geriatric rehabilitation unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 74 consecutive eligible patients, aged 60 years or older and able to walk independently or with assistance, 60 participants (32 males, 28 females) with a mean (SD) length of stay of 37 (26) days completed the study. Intervention Measures: An accelerometer was worn in daytime hours from study recruitment until discharge to monitor daily walking minutes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On study entry, patients spent a median (IQR) of 33 (20 to 48) minutes (7%) of the daily monitored eight hour period walking. By discharge, this had increased to 43 (30 to 56) minutes (9%) (p< 0.001). Average daily walking activity over the week prior to discharge correlated with change in gait speed from admission to discharge (p<0.05). Walking activity prior to discharge was significantly different (p<0.05) between the slowest gait speed group (≤0.4 m/s) and the fastest gait speed group (≥0.8 m/s). Those with discharge gait speeds ≥0.8 m/s (associated with ability to be ambulant in the community) had median (IQR) daily walking times at discharge of 51 (33 to 78) minutes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Activity monitoring has the potential to assist clinicians and patients set goals around activity levels to achieve better outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Dr Nancye Peel, Research Fellow, Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine, Level 2 Building 33, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia, Ph: +61 7 3176 7402, Fax: +61 7 3176 6945, Email: n.peel@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Peel
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kuys