Objectives: To measure the variation in activity parameters in patients with stroke over several days, and to assess whether patients with chronic stroke differ from each other in their achievement of ambulatory activity level.
Design: Descriptive study.
Methods: A total of 14 patients with chronic stroke wore 2 tri-axial accelerometers in their pockets for 7 consecutive days. The mean and standard deviation of activity parameters (duration of activity in minutes, and length and number of bouts of activity) were assessed across days. Outcome parameters were divided into morning, afternoon and evening, in order to assess the activity pattern.
Results: The total group had a mean activity time of 54 min and standard deviation of 23 min over several days (range 5-45 min). Inactive participants had a significantly lower mean number of activity bouts, but no clear difference in length of bouts. Although activity level decreased during the day for the total group, only 4 participants showed a significant difference between periods of the day.
Conclusion: A high level of variation in activity parameters over several days indicates the importance of measuring multiple days when assessing a patient's ambulatory activity level. Moreover, individual differences between patients indicate the importance of tailored advice in promoting their level of physical activity.