Patients With axSpa Understand Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Training Differently

Evidence shows that while patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpa) were generally positive of regular physical activity (PA), they were unclear about the importance of cardiorespiratory training (CRT) in disease management, a new qualitative study understanding beliefs related to physical activity revealed.

The findings are published in BMC Rheumatology.

Despite clinicians insisting on the importance of regular PA and its subset of CRT in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases which is greatly increased among patients with axSpa, the new study proves otherwise. Through 5 semi-structured focus group interviews with 24 individuals living with axSpA, investigators found that all participants living with axSpA had a positive attitude towards PA, reporting various important benefits: physical (improving fitness, physical well-being, active control of disease); psychological (joy, self-management strategy, improvement in self-esteem, enabling a sense of achievement); and social (reinforcing exercise group, activities with healthy people or other people living with axSpA).

However, responses about the conceptual difference between general PA and CRT were vague. The answers were diverse, covering a range from unspecific descriptions of general, often transport-related activities. Furthermore, when asked about the importance and relevance of CRT in disease management, participants were unclear. “Despite the importance of CRT in reducing the increased cardiovascular risk of people with axSpA, only a small number of participants seemed to know how to perform regular CRT and did so,” the authors wrote.

The study stressed on the importance of explore a patient’s beliefs regarding PA and exercise, detect individual barriers and define a goal, according to individual preferences and through shared decisions.

“Our data show how diverse the understanding and personal approaches to PA and CRT can be, e.g., for some patients pain is a barrier, while for others it is the main reason for exercising,” the researchers concluded. “Tailored goals and patient-oriented communication strategies are especially important in handling these differences. Sufficient coaching, exercise guidance and correctly dosed exercise could enhance the adherence to long-term PA.

—Priyam Vora

Reference:
Osthoff A, Nast I, Niedermann K. Understanding beliefs related to physical activity in people living with axial spondyloarthritis: a theory-informed qualitative study. BMC Rheumatol. 2022;40(6). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41927-022-00270-2