title: Exploring the facilitators and barriers to engagement in physical activity for people with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship that cognitive behavioural and other previously identified variables have with physical activity engagement in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study adopted a cross-sectional questionnaire design. Participants were 282 individuals with MS. Outcome measures included the Physical Activity Disability Survey--Revised, Cognitive and Behavioural Responses to Symptoms Questionnaire, Barriers to Health Promoting Activities for Disabled Persons Scale, Multiple Sclerosis Self-efficacy Scale, Self-Efficacy for Chronic Diseases Scales and Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariable stepwise regression analyses found that greater self-efficacy, greater reported mental fatigue and lower number of perceived barriers to physical activity accounted for a significant proportion of variance in physical activity behaviour, over that accounted for by illness-related variables. Although fear-avoidance beliefs accounted for a significant proportion of variance in the initial analyses, its effect was explained by other factors in the final multivariable analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-efficacy, mental fatigue and perceived barriers to physical activity are potentially modifiable variables which could be incorporated into interventions designed to improve physical activity engagement. Future research should explore whether a measurement tool tailored to capture beliefs about physical activity identified by people with MS would better predict participation in physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute, AUT University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand. nkayes@aut.ac.nz
authors.forename: Nicola M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Kayes
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schluter
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leete
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kolt
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D058996:Quality Improvement; D020377:Self Efficacy; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012932:Social Facilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires