Abstract
Background. Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) experience a progressive deterioration in the performance of learned, repetitive movement sequences which affects his or her ability to perform activities of daily living. Individuals with PD can maintain daily functional activities longer by remaining as active as possible. Documenting physical activity in this population will identify functional activities that can be performed at varying stages of this progressive neurological disease. Objective. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship of energy expenditure physical activity in individuals affected by PD at different severity stages Design. This was a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study. Data were collected in four Florida cities: Naples, Fort Myers, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. Participants. The participants consisted of 30 individuals with PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages 1-5). Methods. Participants best matched his or her disabilities to one of the seven descriptions corresponding to the Modified Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) Staging Scale. As a comparison tool, investigators used the Modified H&Y Staging Scale to determine the severity stage of each participant. Next, participants completed the MET Activity Table to indicate which activities he or she could complete independently on a daily basis. Each participant’s demographical data were also collected. Results. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient demonstrated an inverse relationship between the Modified H&Y scores and MET activity level with r= -0.440 (p= 0.015). Results from a multiple regression analysis found three variables to be good predictors of MET activity level: investigators’ determination of the participant’s Modified H&Y score (p=0.018), participant’s age (0.048), and participant’s age of diagnosis (0.020). The coefficient of determination for the multiple regression analysis was r2=0.428. However, gender, whether the participant lived alone, and whether the participant required a caregiver’s assistance were not statistically significant predictors of MET activity level for individuals with PD. Limitations. Data were obtained from a limited number of participants and included few participants in Modified H&Y stages 1 and 5. This research used a list of descriptions corresponding to the Modified H&Y Staging Scale that are not currently a standardized scale of measure. Lastly, investigators acknowledged that use of participants’ self-reporting of his or her current physical activity level is a limitation of this study. Conclusions. As individuals with PD increase in disease severity stage, his or her energy expenditure during physical activity is predicted to decrease. This study can be used as a positive motivational tool for individuals with PD. Individuals can strive to meet or maintain the mean activity level of his or her current PD stage. Results of this study are promising; however, studies with larger samples are needed.