Objective

Physical activity (PA) and exercise are two successful approaches to reduce sedentary behavior and risk managing in stroke patients.

The aims of the study are to evaluate PA and physical inactivity levels in post-stroke patients and to correlate PA parameters with gait performance, fatigue, anxiety, and anthropometry parameters in subacute phase of stroke recovery.

Material/Patients and methods

Preliminary analysis of 24 patients in PA incitation program (mean age: 61.3 ± 13.85 years; weight 78.2 ± 12.8 kg; stroke delay: 76.5 ± 37.7 days). Each patient achieved 6 minutes walking test (6MWT), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), multidimensional fatigue inventory questionnaire (MFI-20) and body composition assessment before the hospital discharge. Total energy expenditure (TEE), number of steps (NS), sitting time (ST), activity energy expenditure (> 3 MET) (AEE) and physical activity time (PAT) per day were collected at home by the SenseWear Armband monitor system during the first (T1) and sixth (T6) month of PA incitation program.

Results

ST and PAT reduced significantly between T1 and T6 respectively (65.6 ± 89.5 and 35.3 ± 48.6 min, p = 0.048) and (94.7 ± 67.3 and 75.5 ± 56.7 min, P = 0.049). In contrast, NS increased significantly between T1 and T6 (3750 ± 2440 and 4415 ± 3810 steps, P = 0.044). TEE were positively associated with 6MWT and HADS ( r = 0.488, P = 0.0182 and r = −0.401, P = 0.04 respectively) at T1. Furthermore, PAT was positively associated with the body lean mass ( r = 0.48, P = 0,017) and weight ( r = −0.502, P = 0.0124) at T1 and ( r = −0.524, P = 0,008) at T6. In addition, there is positive correlation between AEE and the percentage of muscular mass at T6 ( r = 0.513, P = 0.0123). Finally TEE, NS, AEE and PAT were correlated with MFI at T6 ( r = −0.463, r = −0.457, r = −0.527, r = −0.594, P < 0.05).

Discussion – Conclusion

These preliminary results revealed that stroke patients included in PA incitation program decreased ST and increased NS despite PAT reduction. Even the presence of PA incitation program, PA is higher in patients with a few physical limitations than patients with a physical and psychological impairments.