Behavioural graded activity results in better exercise adherence and more physical activity than usual care in people with osteoarthritis: a cluster-randomised trial.
OBJECTIVE
Does behavioural graded activity result in better exercise adherence and more physical activity than usual care in people with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee?


METHODS
Analysis of secondary outcomes of a cluster-randomised trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis.


METHODS
Two hundred patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis.


METHODS
Experimental group received 18 sessions of behavioural graded activity over 12 weeks and up to 7 booster sessions over the next year. The control group received 18 sessions of usual care over 12 weeks according to the Dutch physiotherapy guideline.


METHODS
Exercise adherence was measured using a questionnaire and physical activity was measured using the SQUASH questionnaire at baseline, 13, and 65 weeks.


RESULTS
Adherence to recommended exercises was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at 13 weeks (OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.1 to 9.0) and at 65 weeks (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.5 to 6.0). Significantly more of the experimental than the control group met the recommendations for physical activity at 13 weeks (OR 5.3, 95% CI 1.9 to 14.8) and at 65 weeks (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.7).


CONCLUSIONS
Behavioural graded activity results in better exercise adherence and more physical activity than usual care in people with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, both in the short- and long-term.


BACKGROUND
NCT00522106.
Pisters
Martijn F
MF
Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.pisters@nivel.nl
Veenhof
Cindy
C
de Bakker
Dinny H
DH
Schellevis
Francois G
FG
Dekker
Joost
J
D000368:Aged; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome