Poster The Joint Annual Meeting of the Stroke Society of Australasia (SSA) and Smartstrokes 2023

High Intensity Interval Training POst-STroke (HIIT-POST): Preliminary results (#171)

Sarah K Ashcroft 1 , Samantha J Walsh 1 , Liam Johnson 2 3 , Suzanne Kuys 4 , Angelica G Thompson-Butel 1
  1. Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW, Australia
  2. Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  4. Australian Catholic University, Banyo, QLD, Australia

Background.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), encompassing alternating bouts of higher and lower intensity efforts of cardiorespiratory fitness training, increases circulating biomarkers associated with enhanced neuroplasticity post-stroke. HIIT also increases cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular health. But HIIT is not routinely recommended or prescribed following stroke.

Aims.

This study aims to explore the barriers and facilitators to participation and prescription of HIIT by stroke survivors and clinicians, respectively.

Methods.

A mixed methods study design is being used, consisting of a questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Stroke survivors and health professionals are being recruited via social media and study flyers distributed in Australian Catholic University Health Clinics and Exercise Lifestyle Clinics (i.e., Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales). Barriers and facilitators to HIIT were conceptualised from existing post-stroke exercise and physical activity literature, with amendments to focus on HIIT specifically. The questionnaire was co-designed by stroke survivors with the research team and pilot tested by consumers (i.e., stroke survivors and health professionals). The semi-structured interview questions were developed by the research team in consultation with a sport psychologist. Questionnaire data will be presented as frequencies (counts and percentages) of responses per statement. Interview data will be presented as identified themes using the Framework Analysis approach.

Results.

While data collection is ongoing, 10 stroke survivors and 14 health professionals (i.e., exercise physiologists, physiotherapists) have completed the questionnaire, and three stroke survivors have been interviewed via Zoom. Preliminary results indicate that stroke survivors are interested in completing HIIT, and health professionals commonly recommend HIIT to stroke survivors, though their confidence to prescribe HIIT is limited.

Conclusion.

The findings of this study may assist in the development of strategies to increase HIIT uptake and implementation in clinical practice.