Abstract
Mobility during hospitalization is a modifiable predictor of hospitalization acquired functional decline (HAFD). However, the dose-response effect of mobility is yet to be proposed. Prospective cohort study conducted in two internal-medical units in Israel identifyed steps number that older adults need to walk to prevent HAFD. The number of daily steps walked by 177 older participants was monitored using an activity-monitoring device (Actical®) for 1–3 days. Change in functional ability during hospitalization was assessed objectively and subjectively on admission and discharge. Analysis of covariance compared five theoretically proposed step counts groups (<300, 300–599, 600–899, 900–1999, >1999) identified 900 steps threshold cut-point. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that less than 900 steps per day increases the odds of objective HAFD by 4 folds (95%CI 1.2–13.0) and by 5.6 on subjective HAFD (95%CI 2.4–13.2). To conclude, the 900 steps per day recommendation can serve as a significant cut-off threshold to prevent HAFD.