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.