To determine 1) whether patients with inflammatory joint disease (IJD) meet current guidelines on physical activity; 2) which factors influence physical activity levels and sedentary behaviour in patients with IJD.
Cross-sectional study of 137 patients with medical diagnosis of an IJD prior to commencing a NHS-run inflammatory Arthritis Exercise Programme. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour (SB) were measured objectively using a thigh worn physical activity monitor for seven consecutive days. Activity levels were subdivided into low physical activity (LPA) and moderate-vigorous activity (MVPA). Firstly, activity levels were analysed against current guidelines of 150minutes of MVPA a week. Secondly time spent in SB, LPA and MVPA were analysed against possible determinants.
29% of patients with IJD met current physical activity guidelines. Patients on average spend 10 hours a day in SB. Poor physical fitness measured by 6-minute walk test was the only significant predictor (p=0.019) of high SB (R
Patients with IJD are inactive and spent a lot of time in SB. Good general health predicts high activity levels. No disease-specific factors were found to determine SB, LPA or MVPA.