Objective assessment of physical activity using wearable devices in patients with mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including diet and physical activity (PA). IBD patients who engage in more PA report improvements in quality of life, symptom management, and fatigue levels. This report aims to characterize habitual PA collected using wearable technology in patients with mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease (CD) and provide insight into the feasibility of wearable technology in IBD.

This study is part of a larger multicenter, randomized controlled trial at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta. Patients (n = 59) were randomized to receive a CD therapeutic dietary intervention + conventional management or conventional management alone for 13 weeks. PA data, collected using wearables, included habitual PA metrics (daily step count, daily time spent sitting, daily sit to stand transitions [n = 31]), and exercise metrics (daily light PA minutes, daily moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) minutes [n = 23]). Baseline data were pooled across groups and used to investigate habitual PA.

Participants were restricted to nonstricturing, nonpenetrating, colonic or ileocolonic, mild-to-moderate CD. The average daily step count for this cohort was approximately 6700 steps, with time spent sitting (hours) averaging 8.2 ± 2.1 daily. Additionally, pooled average daily light PA and daily MVPA measured 60.0 ± 32.4 and 18.5 ± 13.0 minutes, respectively.

Studies detailing objective assessment of daily PA using wearable technology in IBD are limited. These gaps in the literature provide future direction for researchers to investigate current PA trends and barriers to PA uptake.