Grant: Project Grant

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Canada. Due to advances in early stroke care, more people are now surviving and living longer with stroke. Sadly, about a quarter of individuals who experienced a stroke may have another stroke. Studies have shown that high amounts of sitting and low daily steps contribute to the risks of having another stroke. The main goal of this study is to examine how much people sit and move during the early recovery phase of stroke (i.e., within 3 months post-stroke onset), and to determine whether a home-based behavioural intervention to sit less and move more (BIG STEPS) will help. We have studied this in a small sample with promising results, and we think that daily step count will be higher and sitting time lower after three months of the program, compared to education + usual care. We want to examine whether the combination of sitting and moving is related to how well walking improves after stroke. To do this, we will use a timed test to see how well and how fast people can walk. We know that not everyone who has a stroke improves in the same way, some recover more quickly than others. We also want to determine the best time to start making changes to how much people can sit and move after a stroke. That is why we have a waitlist control group, so that everyone will receive the intervention but at different time periods. This may motivate people to join the study, knowing that everyone will get help. Our last aim is to assess whether the BIG STEPS program will help with patient-reported mood, fatigue, and quality of life measures. This project is not just about finding answers-it is about personalizing solutions. Stroke survivors will wear a small device, like a Fitbit, that tracks their daily movements, which will be used to create tailor-made plans for each individual. This study will help us understand whether starting the program early, when the brain is still changing after a stroke, will provide the most benefit.