Physical activity and sedentary behaviour changes during and after cardiac rehabilitation: Can patients be clustered?

Objective: To identify clusters of patients according to changes in their physical behaviour during and after cardiac rehabilitation, and to predict cluster membership.

Methods: The study included 533 patients (mean age 57.9 years; 18.2% females) with a recent acute coronary syndrome who participated in a 12-week multi-disciplinary cardiac rehabilitation programme, within a cohort study design. Physical behaviour (light physical activity, moderate-to vigorous physical activity, step count, and sedentary behaviour) was measured using accelerometry at 4 timepoints. To identify clusters of patients according to changes in physical behaviour during and after cardiac rehabilitation, latent class trajectory modelling was applied. Baseline factors to predict cluster membership were assessed using multinomial logistic regression.

Results: During and after cardiac rehabilitation, 3 separate clusters were identified for all 4 physical behaviour outcomes: patients with steady levels (comprising 68-83% of the patients), and improving (6-21%) or deteriorating (4-23%) levels. Main predictor for membership to a specific cluster was baseline physical behaviour. Patients with higher starting physical behaviour were more likely to be a member of clusters with deteriorating levels.

Conclusion: Separate clusters of physical behaviour changes during and after cardiac rehabilitation could be identified. Clusters were mainly distinguished by baseline physical behaviour level.