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Does Multiple Sclerosis Differently Impact Physical Activity in Women and Man? A Quantitative Study Based on Wearable
Massimiliano Pau1, Micaela Porta1, Giancarlo Coghe2
1Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|December 2, 2020
Summary
Physical activity patterns differ between men and women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Women with MS show increased sedentary behavior and reduced activity, highlighting the need to consider sex in MS research.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Exercise Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) can lead to fatigue, weakness, and spasticity, potentially increasing sedentary behavior.
- Limited understanding exists regarding sex-based differences in physical activity (PA) engagement among people with MS (pwMS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively analyze sex-specific differences in physical activity patterns in people with MS using wearable sensor data.
- To investigate how MS impacts physical activity engagement differently in men versus women.
Main Methods:
- Utilized tri-axial accelerometers worn 24/7 for 7 days by 45 pwMS (23 female, 22 male) and 41 healthy controls.
- Processed accelerometer data to compute daily steps, vector magnitude (VM) counts, and time spent in sedentary behavior and different PA intensities (light, moderate-to-vigorous - MVPA).
Main Results:
- Women with MS exhibited higher sedentary time and less light-intensity activity compared to men with MS; MVPA was comparable between sexes.
- Compared to controls, women with MS showed significantly altered PA patterns, including increased sedentary behavior, reduced MVPA, fewer daily steps, and lower VM counts.
- Men with MS showed less pronounced alterations in PA patterns compared to women with MS.
Conclusions:
- Sex is a critical variable that significantly influences physical activity engagement and sedentary behavior in people with multiple sclerosis.
- Findings underscore the necessity of incorporating sex as a factor in all research concerning physical activity in pwMS to develop targeted interventions.
- PA modifications in MS are more pronounced in women, suggesting unique physiological or behavioral responses to the disease that warrant further investigation.
