At a glance
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Attitudes, Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity in People With Multiple Sclerosis Following a Relapse
In Brief
An observational study evaluating Qualitative semi structured interview for Multiple Sclerosis. Completed, enrolled 15 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults. Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) is the most frequent form of MS at the time of diagnosis characterised by relapses, followed by remission. Relapses can result in a sudden change in physical or cognitive symptoms, often impacting a person's ability to function with family, friends and work. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guidelines for MS recommend encouraging people with MS to exercise regularly but does not provide specific advice on whether exercise should be undertaken during a relapse. Despite the wealth of literature documenting the benefits of exercise for people with MS insufficient evidence exists about exercise during relapse. Research has improved our understanding of what helps people with MS to be physically active and difficulties people encounter but has not provided evidence for how this is affected by a relapse. The aim of this study is to understand the attitudes of people with MS to physical activity following relapse, including factors that help them to be active and barriers to physical activity. The information gathered will be useful to inform future research and guide the advice health professionals may offer. Fifteen adults with RRMS who have had a relapse in the preceding 3-4 months will be recruited if their Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is \<7 (EDSS scale is used to quantify disability in MS and monitor changes in the level of disability over time) and they agree to being audio -recorded at interviews. The recruitment will take place at the weekly MS relapse clinic at a hospital in London, UK. Participants will be asked to complete two questionnaires (Patient Determined Disease Steps and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire), answer demographic questions and spend one hour being interviewed by a researcher. It is anticipated the recruitment and interviews be carried out by March 2019.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
One-to-one semi structured interviews, guided by the Physical Activity for people with a Disability Framework (van der Ploeg et al, 2004) which is a model for understanding the different factors that influence whether people with a disability engage in physical activity. Participants that agree to take part in the study, will be offered an interview either in a private clinic room at the hospital, at their home (if they live within a 40-mile radius of the hospital) or via a web-based video link. The interviews are expected to last one hour and will be conducted by the primary researcher.