Article

OBJECTIVE: To describe the dose of lower limb exercise completed during admission
to a stroke unit, establish predictors of dose and explore the relationship
between dose and walking outcomes. DESIGN: Inception cohort study. PARTICIPANTS:
Two hundred consecutively-admitted people with stroke. METHODS: Repetitions of
exercise completed throughout the admission were tallied. Possible predictors of
exercise dose were recorded within 48 h of admission. Walking velocity was
assessed at the beginning and end of the hospital stay. RESULTS: Data were
available for 191 (96%) participants on discharge. The mean daily dose of lower
limb exercise was 288 repetitions (standard deviation (SD) 242), the variability
in dose was best explained by age and disability level. The mean improvement in
walking velocity was 0.43 m/s (SD 0.46), 26% of variability in walking
improvement was explained by exercise repetitions and 29% was explained by a
multivariable model including significant contributions from exercise repetitions
(p < 0.01) and age (p = 0.03). After controlling for other factors, for every 100
daily repetitions of lower limb exercise there was an additional change in
walking velocity of 0.08 m/s (95% CI 0.05 to 0.11, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION:
Exercise dose in a stroke unit is variable and can be predicted by age and
disability. Increased exercise dose is associated with improved mobility
outcomes.

Langue : ANGLAIS