Physical activity enjoyment, exercise motivation, and physical activity in patients with heart failure: A mediation analysis.
Leonie Klompstra, Pallav Deka, Luis Almenar and 4 others
PMID 35678610WHAT IT FOUND
Enjoyment fully explains the link between motivation and physical activity in heart failure.
A patient's motivation only translates into movement if they find the activity enjoyable. Clinicians should prioritize patient preference for enjoyment over generic motivational strategies.
Key findings
01Physical activity enjoyment completely mediated the relationship between exercise motivation and physical activity; motivation was not significantly associated with activity once enjoyment was accounted for.
02Motivation and enjoyment were both significantly and positively correlated with each other and with physical activity levels.
03Half of the patients reported low physical activity, and patients spent an average of 9 hours and 36 minutes a day sitting.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that increasing enjoyment causes an increase in physical activity. Physical activity was self-reported, which is subject to recall bias and potential overestimation. The sample was relatively small and limited to patients in Spain, which may affect generalizability. The mediation model only explained 25% of the variation in physical activity, meaning other factors also play a significant role.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study received no specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that enjoyment causes physical activity. This was a cross-sectional study, so it shows a relationship at one point in time, not that changing a patient's enjoyment will automatically change their behavior.