School of Physiotherapy's, Dr Lynne Clay, has received a University of Otago Research Grant (UORG) to research a walking intervention for people with stroke.
Lynne is the School's newest academic appointee. Lynne completed her PhD at the School's Centre for Health, Activity, and Rehabilitation Research (CHARR) in 2014 and explored how rural workers in New Zealand perceive their personal risk of quad bike accident. She then held a Post doctoral fellowship at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada before returning to Otago as a confirmation path Lecturer in Neurorehabilitation in November 2015.
Lynne's current project addresses physical activity interventions for stroke. Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. One third of people with stroke experience a recurrent stroke within five years, with physical inactivity a recognised risk factor. Current public health guidelines encourage adults to strive for 10,000 steps per day or a minimum of 150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA. Yet for people with stroke, this target can seem unattainable. The aim of Lynne's research project is to determine whether a physiotherapist-facilitated, 12-week walking programme (using commercially available activity monitors) is a practical and reasonable way of improving the health and wellbeing of people following stroke. Findings will inform a future fully powered randomised controlled trial.
Read more about Lynne's research
Other UORG success
Park accessibility: Perceived barriers by older adults in the Wellington area.
Primary investigator: Meredith Perry
Exploring the effects shoulder mobilization on scapular and shoulder muscle activities
Primary investigator: Daniel Ribeiro