Analysis of physical activity level and sedentary behavior before and after stroke: A cross-sectional study
Introduction: Stroke is a major cause of death and mortality worldwide. The sedentary lifestyle is a modifiable risk factor and the regular practice of physical activity can reduce the recurrence of stroke and its symptoms. Objective: To characterize the level of physical activity of post-stroke patients before and after the event. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional, analytical study. The population of the study consisted of patients diagnosed with stroke, in the chronic phase under treatment or that have already been discharged from the Physiotherapy School Clinic of FACISA in Santa Cruz-RN. The individuals were evaluated by the Modified Baecker Questionnaire for the Elderly (QBMI) that classifies the level of physical activity in: sedentary (-9), active (9 to 16), and athletes (+16). The normality of the variables was verified by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Wilcoxon’s test was used for comparative analysis of QBMI before and after stroke. Results: Nineteen patients participated (8 male and 11 female) with a mean age of 63 years, of these, 11 had systemic hypertension. Before, 3 were classified as sedentary (score mean: 5.34), 5 active (score mean: 12.254) and 1 athlete ( score mean: 27.04). After the stroke, 18 were classified as sedentary (score mean: 1.46) (p=0.001). Conclusion: There was a reduction in the participants’ level of physical activity, showing greater sedentariness after stroke, although physical activity is essential for secondary prevention of stroke.