title: Physical inactivity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from twenty-one countries in a cross-sectional, international study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Regular physical activity is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been advised to limit physical exercise. We studied the prevalence of physical activity and associations with demographic and disease-related variables in patients with RA from 21 countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Questionnaires in Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (QUEST-RA) is a cross-sectional study that includes a self-report questionnaire and clinical assessment of nonselected consecutive outpatients with RA who are receiving usual clinical care. Frequency of physical exercise (>or=30 minutes with at least some shortness of breath, sweating) is queried with 4 response options: >or=3 times weekly, 1-2 times weekly, 1-2 times monthly, and no exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between January 2005 and April 2007, a total of 5,235 patients from 58 sites in 21 countries were enrolled in QUEST-RA: 79% were women, >90% were white, mean age was 57 years, and mean disease duration was 11.6 years. Only 13.8% of all patients reported physical exercise>or=3 times weekly. The majority of the patients were physically inactive with no regular weekly exercise: >80% in 7 countries, 60-80% in 12 countries, and 45% and 29% in 2 countries, respectively. Physical inactivity was associated with female sex, older age, lower education, obesity, comorbidity, low functional capacity, and higher levels of disease activity, pain, and fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In many countries, a low proportion of patients with RA exercise. These data may alert rheumatologists to motivate their patients to increase physical activity levels.
authors.affiliation: Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Jyväskylä, Finland. tuulikki.sokka@ksshp.fi
authors.forename: Tuulikki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sokka
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Häkkinen
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kautiainen
authors.forename: Jean Francis
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Maillefert
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toloza
authors.forename: Troels
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mørk Hansen
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calvo-Alen
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oding
authors.forename: Margareth
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liveborn
authors.forename: Margriet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huisman
authors.forename: Rieke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alten
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cutolo
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Immonen
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woolf
authors.forename: Eithne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sheehy
authors.forename: Edel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quirke
authors.forename: Selda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tlustochowicz
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kapolka
authors.forename: Vlado
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Skakic
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rojkovich
authors.forename: Raili
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Sigita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stropuviene
authors.forename: Daina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andersone
authors.forename: Alexandros A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Drosos
authors.forename: Juris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lazovskis
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pincus
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires