Development and feasibility of a sedentary behavior intervention for stroke: a case series

Background and Objective: High levels of sedentary behavior are prevalent among people with stroke and contribute to elevated risk for recurrent stroke. Few interventions reduce sedentary behavior post-stroke. The ABLE intervention aims to reduce sedentary behavior using activity monitoring, activity scheduling, problem-solving, and self-assessment to promote engagement in meaningful daily activities. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility (tolerability, acceptability, reliability, safety) of the ABLE intervention after stroke and describe trends in sedentary behavior at baseline and 4 weeks.

Clinical Presentation: Participants (n = 5) who were 6 months to 2 years post-stroke, ambulatory, and reported ≥6 h of daily sitting time.

Intervention: Twelve ABLE intervention sessions (3x/week for 4 weeks) conducted in participants’ homes. The ABLE intervention includes activity monitoring, activity scheduling, self-assessment, and collaborative problem-solving.

Results: All feasibility benchmarks were met for three participants. Two participants met tolerability and safety benchmarks but did not meet acceptability and reliability benchmarks. Variability in feasibility and sedentary behavior outcomes may be related to baseline levels of sedentary behavior and social support.

Conclusions: The ABLE intervention was tolerable and safe. The intervention protocol was refined to enhance reliability and acceptability. Future studies should estimate the effects of the ABLE intervention.