Perceptions, behaviours and barriers towards exercise practices in inflammatory bowel disease

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Exercise Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) significantly impacts patients' quality of life.
• While pharmaceutical treatments are standard, exercise is emerging as a valuable complementary therapy for IBD management.
• Understanding patient perspectives on exercise is crucial for optimizing its role in IBD care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the exercise habits, perceptions, and barriers among adult patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
• To identify specific challenges faced by different demographic groups within the IBD patient population regarding physical activity.

Main Methods:

• A 16-item questionnaire was administered to 463 adult IBD patients, assessing demographics, disease characteristics, and exercise-related beliefs and behaviors.
• Data analysis focused on comparing exercise engagement, preferred modalities, and perceived barriers across patient subgroups.

Main Results:

• A majority of IBD patients (63.07%) reported regular exercise engagement, with males showing higher participation rates than females.
• Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise was the most common modality; however, resistance training was largely absent, with significant patient uncertainty regarding its effects on IBD.
• Key barriers to exercise engagement were identified by 74.30% of respondents.

Conclusions:

• While regular exercise is prevalent among IBD patients, disparities in engagement exist, particularly for females.
• There is a notable lack of knowledge and participation in resistance training among IBD patients, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.
• Future strategies should focus on enhancing exercise accessibility for female IBD patients and promoting understanding and adoption of resistance training across the IBD population.