Physical Activity Levels in College Students With Chronic Ankle Instability

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedics
• Sports Medicine
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Ankle sprains are a common orthopaedic condition, frequently leading to chronic ankle instability (CAI).
• CAI is associated with occupational restrictions, functional limitations, and reduced quality of life.
• The impact of CAI on physical activity levels remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the total weekly step count between individuals with CAI and healthy controls.
• To investigate the relationship between CAI and daily physical activity.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted in a university research laboratory.
• Twenty participants with unilateral CAI and 20 healthy participants were enrolled.
• Participants wore pedometers for seven days, completed daily step logs, and filled out functional questionnaires (FAAM, FAAM Sport, IPAQ).

Main Results:

• The CAI group exhibited a significantly lower average daily step count (6694 ± 1603) compared to the healthy group (8831 ± 1290).
• Participants with CAI also reported lower scores on the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) and its sport version.
• No significant interaction between group and sex was found for step count.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with CAI demonstrate reduced daily physical activity, evidenced by fewer steps taken.
• This decrease in activity may be linked to the functional limitations associated with CAI.
• Sustained low physical activity in CAI patients could represent a significant health risk requiring appropriate management.