Longitudinal change in physical activity and its correlates in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Physical activity offers significant benefits for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
• However, a large proportion of the MS population remains sedentary.
• Limited data exists on physical activity changes and their correlates, hindering intervention development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in physical activity over 2.5 years in people with relapsing-remitting MS.
• To examine the symptomatic, social-cognitive, and ambulatory/disability correlates of these changes.
• To inform the design of behavioral interventions for physical activity in MS.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study with 269 participants diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS.
• Data collected on 6 occasions over 2.5 years, including symptom, self-efficacy, walking, disability, and physical activity assessments.
• Objective physical activity measured using accelerometers; statistical analysis employed latent growth curve modeling.

Main Results:

• Significant linear changes observed in self-reported and objectively measured physical activity, self-efficacy, walking impairment, and disability over 2.5 years.
• No significant changes were found in fatigue, depression, or pain.
• Increases in physical activity were strongly associated with improvements in self-efficacy (β=.49 for self-reported, β=.61 for objective).

Conclusions:

• Self-efficacy is a key target for interventions aimed at promoting physical activity in individuals with MS.
• Interventions should focus on enhancing self-efficacy to support physical activity maintenance.
• Findings may not generalize to individuals with progressive MS due to study limitations.