Conceptualising adherence to exercise for musculoskeletal pain: A concept mapping study

Area of Science:

• Musculoskeletal health
• Rehabilitation science
• Behavioral medicine

Background:

• Exercise adherence for musculoskeletal (MSK) pain lacks clear definition and measurement.
• Existing tools do not adequately capture the nuances of adherence to exercise therapy for MSK conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptualize exercise adherence specifically for musculoskeletal pain.
• To identify key statements for developing a novel measurement tool for exercise adherence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized concept mapping, an integrated mixed-methods approach.
• Generated and refined statements through focus groups and workshops with diverse stakeholders.
• Employed multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Identified six core domains of exercise adherence: communication, targets, prescription, patient understanding, motivation/support, and psychological factors.
• Generated 100 unique statements, with 56 identified as highly important for a new measurement tool.
• Stakeholder input was crucial in refining the conceptualization and identifying representative statements.

Conclusions:

• Exercise adherence in musculoskeletal pain is a complex, multi-domain construct.
• Six distinct domains provide a framework for understanding and measuring adherence.
• Identified statements will guide the development of a more accurate and comprehensive adherence measurement tool.