RESEARCH - Physical inactivity in patients with RA: data from 21 countries

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Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Dec 28;59(1):42-50 [Epub ahead of print]

Physical inactivity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Data from twenty-one

countries in a cross-sectional, international study.

Sokka T, Häkkinen A, Kautiainen H, Maillefert JF, Toloza S, Mørk Hansen T,

Calvo-Alen J, Oding R, Liveborn M, Huisman M, Alten R, Pohl C, Cutolo M, Immonen

K, Woolf A, E, Sheehy C, Quirke E, Celik S, Yazici Y, Tlustochowicz W,

Kapolka D, Skakic V, Rojkovich B, Müller R, Stropuviene S, e D, Drosos

AA, Lazovskis J, Pincus T; QUESTâ€RA Group.

Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Jyväskylä, Finland, and Medcare Oy, Äänekoski,

Finland.

OBJECTIVE: Regular physical activity is associated with decreased morbidity and

mortality. Traditionally, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been

advised to limit physical exercise. We studied the prevalence of physical

activity and associations with demographic and disease-related variables in

patients with RA from 21 countries. METHODS: The Questionnaires in Standard

Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (QUEST-RA) is a cross-sectional

study that includes a self-report questionnaire and clinical assessment of

nonselected consecutive outpatients with RA who are receiving usual clinical

care. Frequency of physical exercise (>/=30 minutes with at least some shortness

of breath, sweating) is queried with 4 response options: >/=3 times weekly, 1-2

times weekly, 1-2 times monthly, and no exercise. RESULTS: Between January 2005

and April 2007, a total of 5,235 patients from 58 sites in 21 countries were

enrolled in QUEST-RA: 79% were women, >90% were white, mean age was 57 years,

and mean disease duration was 11.6 years. Only 13.8% of all patients reported

physical exercise >/=3 times weekly. The majority of the patients were

physically inactive with no regular weekly exercise: >80% in 7 countries, 60-80%

in 12 countries, and 45% and 29% in 2 countries, respectively. Physical

inactivity was associated with female sex, older age, lower education, obesity,

comorbidity, low functional capacity, and higher levels of disease activity,

pain, and fatigue.

CONCLUSION: In many countries, a low proportion of patients with RA exercise.

These data may alert rheumatologists to motivate their patients to increase

physical activity levels.

PMID: 18163412

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=181634\

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