Levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour during and after hospitalisation: a systematic review
Asher Kirk1, Kate Behm1, Lara Kimmel1,2, Christina Ekegren21Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia2Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Abstract
Objective: Systematically review and synthesise the evidence on physical activity and sedentary behaviour during and after hospitalisation.
Data Sources: Electronic databases and reference lists of relevant articles were searched from year 2000 to April 2020
Study Selection: Studies which continuously monitored physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour in hospitalised adults across two settings (i.e. without a break in measurement between settings). Monitoring could occur from an acute to a subacute/rehabilitation hospital setting, an acute setting to home, or from a subacute/rehabilitation setting to home.
Date Extraction: Data extraction and methodological quality assessments were independently performed by two reviewers using standardised checklists.
Data Synthesis: 15 of 5579 studies were included, and comprised of heterogenous patient populations. All studies monitored patients with either an accelerometer and/or pedometer, and reported a variety of measures including steps per day, sedentary time, and activity counts. The majority of studies (12/15) showed patients engaged in 1.3 to 5.9 times more physical activity and up to 67% less daily sedentary behaviour at home after discharge from acute or subacute settings.
Conclusions: Patients engaged in more physical activity and less sedentary behaviour at home compared to both the acute and subacute hospital settings. This may reflect the natural course of recovery or the impact of setting on activity levels. Enabling early discharge home through the implementation of home-hospitalisation models may result in increased patient physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour. Further experimental studies are required investigating the impact of home-based models of care on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
Biography
Asher Kirk is a senior orthopaedic trauma physiotherapist from the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne and a PhD candidate at Monash University. Having vast experience in Australia and United Kingdom, Asher has a special interest in major orthopaedic and spinal trauma. Asher’s PhD is investigating activity levels during and after hospitalisation in people with orthopaedic trauma, and hopes this research will continue to improving the outcomes in people following orthopaedic trauma.