Physical Activity and Sleep Measures Using a Fitness Tracking Device during Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) experience decline in their physical activity during their transplant admission. There is limited experience with prospective monitoring of transplant recipients. We therefore measured physical activity and sleep patterns of subjects undergoing autologous and allogeneic HCT. Eighty-three patients were consented for this study. Sixty-three patients competed the study and had their physical activity prospectively assessed using the fitness-tracking device Fitbit HR. Outcomes included adherence, physical activity, readmission, hematopoietic engraftment, and 100-day survival. Sixty percent of patients (n=37) underwent autologous HCT, and 40% (n=26) underwent allogenic HCT. Both groups had a comparable number of steps at admission to the hospital. The number of daily steps during the study period was lower in the allogeneic group (2159 versus 3008, P=.07), as was the minimum number of steps recorded over the transplant admission (allogeneic HCT=395 versus autologous HCT=848, P=.01). Patients undergoing allogeneic HCT were less active on the day before discharge (1956 steps versus 3183 steps, P=.08). In multivariate analysis, physical activity was not associated with HCT-related outcomes. Patients undergoing HCT experience significant decline in their physical activity during their transplant admission that does not recover by the time of discharge. This effect can be objectively measured using fitness tracking devices.