Physical inactivity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from twenty-one countries in a cross-sectional, international study.
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.
Sokka
Tuulikki
T
Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Jyväskylä, Finland. tuulikki.sokka@ksshp.fi
Häkkinen
Arja
A
Kautiainen
Hannu
H
Maillefert
Jean Francis
JF
Toloza
Sergio
S
Mørk Hansen
Troels
T
Calvo-Alen
Jaime
J
Oding
Rolf
R
Liveborn
Margareth
M
Huisman
Margriet
M
Alten
Rieke
R
Pohl
Christof
C
Cutolo
Maurizio
M
Immonen
Kai
K
Woolf
Anthony
A
Murphy
Eithne
E
Sheehy
Claire
C
Quirke
Edel
E
Celik
Selda
S
Yazici
Yusuf
Y
Tlustochowicz
Witold
W
Kapolka
Danuta
D
Skakic
Vlado
V
Rojkovich
Bernadette
B
Müller
Raili
R
Stropuviene
Sigita
S
Andersone
Daina
D
Drosos
Alexandros A
AA
Lazovskis
Juris
J
Pincus
Theodore
T
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