Table 3 Baseline characteristics of hospitalized older patients according to physical activity levels, NEXT-STEP study, Lausanne, Switzerland. Physically active subjects were defined as being in the highest quartile of time spent in light and moderate PA (definition 1) or as spending at least 20 min of moderate physical activity per day (definition 2)
Number of patients | Definition 1 | Definition 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Inactive | Active | P-value | Inactive | Active | P-value | |
132 | 45 | 163 | 14 | |||
Characteristics | ||||||
Women | 52 (39.4) | 19 (42.2) | 0.738 | 65 (39.9) | 6 (42.9) | 0.827 |
Age (years) | 81.7 ± 8.5 | 80.0 ± 8.3 | 0.261 | 81.4 ± 8.6 | 79.3 ± 6.9 | 0.367 |
Body mass index (kg/m2) a | 24.7 ± 4.7 | 24.4 ± 4.6 | 0.695 | 24.8 ± 4.7 | 23.2 ± 3.5 | 0.269 |
Depressive disorders | 21 (15.9) | 5 (11.1) | 0.432 | 24 (14.7) | 2 (14.3) | 1.000‡ |
Urinary/fecal incontinence | 45 (34.1) | 15 (33.3) | 0.926 | 56 (34.4) | 4 (28.6) | 0.775‡ |
Hearing loss/vision issues | 51 (38.6) | 19 (42.2) | 0.671 | 64 (39.3) | 6 (42.9) | 0.792 |
Anamnesis | ||||||
Walking aids 2 weeks before admission | 73 (55.3) | 17 (37.8) | 0.042 | 87 (53.4) | 3 (21.4) | 0.026‡ |
History of falls during the year before admission | 40 (30.3) | 14 (31.1) | 0.919 | 52 (31.9) | 2 (14.3) | 0.232 |
Reason for admission associated with functional decline b | 74 (56.1) | 19 (42.2) | 0.108 | 90 (55.2) | 3 (21.4) | 0.023‡ |
Status upon inclusion | ||||||
Cognitive impairment/confusion | 40 (30.3) | 12 (26.7) | 0.644 | 52 (31.9) | 0 (0) | 0.011‡ |
Sedative drugs | 18 (13.7) | 9 (20.0) | 0.315 | 25 (15.4) | 2 (14.3) | 1.000 |
Barthel Index | 87.5 ± 16.7 | 93.2 ± 12.1 | 0.037 | 88.2 ± 16.2 | 97.4 ± 3.7 | 0.035 |
Braden score | 0.133 | 0.362 | ||||
> 18 | 62 (49.2) | 28 (62.2) | 81 (51.6) | 9 (64.3) | ||
≤ 18 | 64 (50.8) | 17 (37.8) | 76 (48.4) | 5 (35.7) | ||
Medical equipment c | 32 (24.2) | 4 (8.9) | 0.027 | 34 (20.9) | 2 (14.3) | 0.738‡ |
Isolation precautions | 3 (2.3) | 3 (6.7) | 0.173‡ | 5 (3.1) | 1 (7.1) | 0.395‡ |
Prescription of physiotherapy | 89 (67.4) | 24 (53.3) | 0.089 | 107 (65.6) | 6 (42.9) | 0.089 |
Charlson comorbidity index | 4 [2–6] | 4 [2–6] | 0.370¶ | 4 [2–6] | 3 [2–7] | 0.406¶ |
Number of comorbidities | 2 [1–4] | 2 [1–3] | 0.326¶ | 2 [1–4] | 2 [1–3] | 0.343¶ |