Are people with rheumatoid arthritis who undertake activity pacing at risk of being too physically inactive?

To gain insight into the relationship between activity pacing and physical inactivity.

A cross-sectional study.

Outpatient clinic of a rheumatology department.

Men and women diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Physical activity was assessed using self-reported measures and an accelerometer-based activity monitor. An occupational therapist and specialized nurse analysed the self-reported physical activity data and classified on the basis of consensus the pacing of activities of all patients as 'adequate' or 'not adequate'.

Thirty rheumatoid arthritis patients participated in this study of whom nine were categorized as adequate activity pacers. None of these nine undertook sufficient exercise whereas 6 of the 20 people who did not pace activity appropriately did. Physical activity levels assessed by self-reported measures were significantly higher than when assessed by an accelerometer-based activity monitor.

Activity pacing was associated with lower levels of physical activity. Since patients with rheumatoid arthritis are already at risk for inactivity, further inactivation by activity pacing might potentially be harmful.