Self-reported physical activity more than 1 year after stroke and its determinants in relation to the WHO recommendations.
Maria Kähler, Hanna M Nilsson, Lina Rosengren and 2 others
PMID 39749623WHAT IT FOUND
Two-thirds of stroke survivors reported physical activity levels below WHO recommendations over a year after onset.
Those needing home help, using mobility devices, living alone, or who were older were significantly less active. Stroke type and time since onset did not predict activity levels.
Key findings
0166.3% of participants had a self-reported physical activity score indicating they did not meet WHO recommendations.
02Need for home help was the only significant contributor to the variance in physical activity levels in the final regression model.
03Participants below the recommended activity level were significantly older, more likely to live alone, and more likely to need home help or mobility devices.
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
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if low activity causes poor recovery or if poor recovery causes low activity. The sample was relatively high-functioning, with only 16% needing home help and 29% using mobility devices, so results may not apply to more severely impaired survivors. Physical activity was self-reported, which can overestimate actual activity levels and is subject to recall bias. The regression model explained only 13% of the variance, meaning most factors influencing activity levels were not measured in this study. Participants were excluded if they had dementia or severe cognitive impairments, limiting generalizability to the full stroke population.
Declared interests
The study received financial support from the Promobilia Foundation and Strokeforskning Norrland. The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that stroke severity or type determines physical activity levels. This study found that functional consequences, specifically the need for home help and mobility devices, were the significant predictors, not the stroke characteristics themselves.