Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences (Dec 2021)

Correlates of Objectively Measured Physical Activity Among People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Jennifer Fortune,
  • Meriel Norris,
  • Andrea Stennett,
  • Cherry Kilbride,
  • Grace Lavelle,
  • Wendy Hendrie,
  • Lorraine DeSouza,
  • Christina Victor,
  • Jennifer Mary Ryan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2021.726436
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2

Abstract

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Background: Identifying correlates of physical activity (PA) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is essential to design effective PA interventions.Methods: Participants completed a battery of questionnaires and wore an ActiGraph accelerometer. Light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (min/day) were calculated. Associations were examined using multiple linear regression adjusted for demographic and clinical confounders.Results: Fifty-eight adults with MS participated (mean ± SD age: 56.8 ± 9.2 yr; 67% women). MS type was associated with time in LPA. Participants with secondary progressive MS (B = −54.0, 95% CI −84.7 to −23.3) and primary progressive MS (B = −42.9, 95% CI −77.5 to −8.3) spent less time in LPA than those with relapsing remitting MS. Walking capacity, assessed using the 12-item MS walking scale (MSWS-12), was associated with time in MVPA (B = −0.36, 95% CI −0.72 to −0.01).Conclusion: This work identifies walking capacity and type of MS as correlates of PA, which may indicate development of interventions to promote PA.

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