Interrelations between factors related to physical activity in inactive adults with knee pain.
Nirali Shah, Jessica Kramer, Belinda Borrelli and 1 others
PMID 33689528WHAT IT FOUND
Inactive adults with knee pain linked physical activity to pain, mood, environment, social expectations, knowledge, and resources.
Females more often reported fear, fatigue, sleep, social perception, and exercise uncertainty; males reported sports and tracking.
Key findings
01Participants described barriers and facilitators to physical activity across physical status, psychological status, physical environment, social environment, knowledge, and resources.
02Females more often mentioned difficulty sleeping, fatigue, body image, anxiety and fear, depression, boredom, and lack of motivation, while males mentioned using mobile health technologies.
03Many participants did not understand physical activity recommendations and avoided activity because they were unsure what exercise was safe.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a qualitative focus group study, so it describes experiences and themes, not whether any intervention works. The analysed sample was 35 participants, recruited purposively from a metropolitan area, so it may not represent other adults with knee pain. Participants were classified as inactive using self-reported physical activity, not objective measures such as accelerometry. The study did not require radiographic or clinical diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis; participants had chronic knee pain. Sex differences were exploratory, and the sample had more females than males (22 females, 13 males). Transcripts and findings were not returned to participants for correction or feedback. The study did not test whether addressing these factors changes physical activity.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article is categorized as supported by NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that a sex-tailored physical activity programme has been shown to work. This was a qualitative study, sex differences were exploratory, and females reported slightly greater physical activity than males (35.5 min/week versus 10.8 min/week).