TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers and facilitators for physical activity in rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease: a European-based survey
AU - Metsios, George S
AU - Fenton, S A M
AU - Tzika, K
AU - Moe, R H
AU - Fragoulis, G E
AU - Vlieland, T P M Vliet
AU - Nikiphorou, E
AU - Van den Ende, C H M
AU - Fatouros, I
AU - van der Esch, M
AU - Niedermann, K
AU - Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou, A
AU - van Zanten, J J C S Veldhuijzen
AU - Brodin, N
AU - O'Brien, C M
AU - Koutedakis, Y
AU - Kennedy, N
AU - Swinnen, T W
AU - Bostrom, C
AU - Kitas, G D
AU - IMPACT-RMD Consortium
N1 - © 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR).
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Physical activity (PA) is a key strategy for improving symptoms in people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). The aim of this study was to investigate and rank the importance of known barriers and facilitators for engaging in PA, from the perspective of people living with RMD. Five hundred thirty-three people with RMD responded to a survey (nine questions) disseminated by the People with Arthritis and Rheumatism (PARE) network of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR). The survey required participants to rank - based on their perceived importance - known PA barriers and facilitators from the literature, and specifically RMD symptoms as well as healthcare and community factors that may affect PA participation. Of the participants, 58% reported rheumatoid arthritis as their primary diagnosis, 89% were female, and 59% were between 51 and 70 years of age. Overall, participants reported fatigue (61.4%), pain (53.6%) and painful/swollen joints (50.6%) as the highest ranked barriers for engaging in PA. Conversely, less fatigue (66.8%) and pain (63.6%), and being able to do daily activities more easy (56.3%) were identified as the most important facilitators to PA. Three literature identified PA barriers, i.e., general health (78.8%), fitness (75.3%) and mental health (68.1%), were also ranked as being the most important for PA engagement. Symptoms of RMDs, such as pain and fatigue, seem to be considered the predominant barriers to PA by people with RMD; the same barriers are also the ones that they want to improve through increasing PA, suggesting a bi-directional relationship between these factors. Key Points • Symptoms of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) are the predominant barriers for lack of physical activity engagement. • RMD symptoms are the factors that people with RMDs want to improve when engaging in PA. • The barriers that stop people living with RMDs to do more PA are the ones that can be significantly improved through PA engagement.
AB - Physical activity (PA) is a key strategy for improving symptoms in people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). The aim of this study was to investigate and rank the importance of known barriers and facilitators for engaging in PA, from the perspective of people living with RMD. Five hundred thirty-three people with RMD responded to a survey (nine questions) disseminated by the People with Arthritis and Rheumatism (PARE) network of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR). The survey required participants to rank - based on their perceived importance - known PA barriers and facilitators from the literature, and specifically RMD symptoms as well as healthcare and community factors that may affect PA participation. Of the participants, 58% reported rheumatoid arthritis as their primary diagnosis, 89% were female, and 59% were between 51 and 70 years of age. Overall, participants reported fatigue (61.4%), pain (53.6%) and painful/swollen joints (50.6%) as the highest ranked barriers for engaging in PA. Conversely, less fatigue (66.8%) and pain (63.6%), and being able to do daily activities more easy (56.3%) were identified as the most important facilitators to PA. Three literature identified PA barriers, i.e., general health (78.8%), fitness (75.3%) and mental health (68.1%), were also ranked as being the most important for PA engagement. Symptoms of RMDs, such as pain and fatigue, seem to be considered the predominant barriers to PA by people with RMD; the same barriers are also the ones that they want to improve through increasing PA, suggesting a bi-directional relationship between these factors. Key Points • Symptoms of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) are the predominant barriers for lack of physical activity engagement. • RMD symptoms are the factors that people with RMDs want to improve when engaging in PA. • The barriers that stop people living with RMDs to do more PA are the ones that can be significantly improved through PA engagement.
KW - physical activity
KW - Musculoskeletal disease
KW - Rheumatic diseases
KW - Exercise
KW - Pain
KW - Arthritis, Rheumatoid
KW - Fatigue
U2 - 10.1007/s10067-023-06518-7
DO - 10.1007/s10067-023-06518-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 36877304
SN - 0770-3198
VL - 42
SP - 1897
EP - 1902
JO - Clinical Rheumatology
JF - Clinical Rheumatology
IS - 7
ER -
