Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Among Adults With and Without Stroke A National Cohort Study

Background and Purpose: We examined differences in the volume and pattern of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior between adults with and without stroke. Methods: We studied cohort members with an adjudicated or self-reported stroke (n=401) and age-, sex-, race-, region of residence-, and body mass index-matched participants without a history of stroke (n=1203) from the REGARDS study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke). Sedentary behavior (total volume and bouts), light-intensity PA, and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA were objectively measured for 7 days via hip-worn accelerometer. Results: Sedentary time (790.5 +/- 80.4 versus 752.4 +/- 81.9 min/d) and mean sedentary bout duration (15.7 +/- 12.6 versus 11.9 +/- 8.1 min/d) were higher and PA (light-intensity PA: 160.5 +/- 74.6 versus 192.9 +/- 73.5 min/d and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA: 9.0 +/- 11.9 versus 14.7 +/- 17.0 min/d) lower for stroke survivors compared with controls (P<0.001). Stroke survivors also accrued fewer activity breaks (65.5 +/- 21.9 versus 73.31 +/- 18.9 breaks/d) that were shorter (2.4 +/- 0.7 versus 2.7 +/- 0.8 minutes) and lower in intensity (188.4 +/- 60.8 versus 217.9 +/- 72.2 counts per minute) than controls (P<0.001). Conclusions: Stroke survivors accrued a lower volume of PA, higher volume of sedentary time, and exhibited accrual patterns of more prolonged sedentary bouts and shorter, lower intensity activity breaks compared with persons without stroke.

Automated summary

The study revealed that stroke survivors had higher sedentary time, lower physical activity levels, and exhibited patterns of accumulating longer sedentary bouts and shorter, lower intensity activity breaks compared to those without a history of stroke.