Physical activity outside of structured therapy during inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
Dominik Zbogar, Janice J Eng, William C Miller and 2 others
PMID 27846851WHAT IT FOUND
During inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation, activity outside PT and OT was low.
Half of the time was sedentary leisure. Wrist and hip accelerometers showed more movement by discharge, but self-report did not detect it.
Key findings
01Physical activity outside structured therapy sessions was low, and half of the time was spent on sedentary leisure activities.
02Accelerometers detected more walking and upper extremity activity by discharge, but self-report did not show a significant increase.
03Ambulatory participants had a median 1097 daily steps by discharge, and 1/3 had fewer than 500 daily steps.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was an observational study, not a trial of an intervention. Activity was measured on only 2 weekdays at each time point. Self-report relied on memory and may have missed real changes. Accelerometers may have underestimated steps in people who were learning to walk. Accelerometers may have counted assisted transfers as activity. Participants with projected stays under 4 weeks were excluded, so results do not apply to shorter stays. The study did not test whether group classes or counselling increase activity.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the increase in accelerometer counts as proof that a new exercise programme works. This was an observational study of inpatient rehabilitation, and it did not test an intervention.