BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity improves symptoms and overall health in people with chronic widespread pain. However, many struggle to stay active over time, highlighting the need for strategies that support long-term physical activity. PURPOSE: To investigate if person-centred health plans that include physical activity can support participants with chronic widespread pain to increase and maintain their level of physical activity and improve in physical function after 12 months, and to analyse factors that characterise those who achieve the level of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: = 102) with chronic widespread pain were recruited from primary health care rehabilitation centers. All participants received person-centred health plans including physical activity. The intervention group got support through a digital platform and the control group through a single telephone call. The participants also completed questionnaires at baseline and 12 months. Analyses included changes in physical activity measured as hours of activity, and physical function, assessed with a physical test and a questionnaire, as well as identification of predictors of achieving the recommended physical activity level. RESULTS: At baseline, 55% of the participants reached the recommended level of physical activity, as compared to 62% at the follow-up. A higher baseline level of physical activity (OR 95% CI: 1.23 1.04, 1.47) and a positive experience of physical activity in terms of physical relaxation (OR 95% CI: 0.64 0.42, 0.97) were associated with an increased likelihood of achieving the recommended physical activity level. CONCLUSION: Participants with positive experiences of physical activity were more likely to achieve the recommended physical activity level. Patients with negative experiences may need more support to reach a higher physical activity level. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03434899.
Juhlin et al. (Tue,) studied this question.