Published online Nov 7, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i41.5668
Peer-review started: August 16, 2023
First decision: October 8, 2023
Revised: October 9, 2023
Accepted: October 23, 2023
Article in press: October 23, 2023
Published online: November 7, 2023
Processing time: 82 Days and 16.3 Hours
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) often experience reduced quality of life (QoL) and disability. Regular physical activity (PA) determines QoL. Initial studies have shown that mild PA seems safe in IBD and is not associated with an increased risk of flare-ups.
There are no precise guidelines on what type of PA and the intensity to recommend for patients with IBD. Epidemiological levels of PA in the IBD population are not yet fully known, nor are the barriers that block patients from practising regular PA.
This study aimed to weigh PA levels with standardised instruments in an Italian IBD population to examine PA's relationship with IBD disease activity and identify barriers to PA.
This cross-sectional study employed the standardised International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to weigh PA and the patient-reported outcome 2 (PRO-2) to assess IBD disease activity. PA was expressed as multiples of resting metabolic rate (Met) in Met min/wk. This study included only patients with confirmed, excluding patients with severe or hospitalised activity.
Two hundred nineteen patients were included. Fifty-three per cent were found to be sufficiently active, 42.9% as inactive, and only 4.1% as health-enhancing PA active. Median overall PA levels were 834.5 Met min/wk, just above the threshold for inactivity (i.e., 700 Met min/wk). Ulcerative colitis PRO-2 showed a negative correlation with intense PA activities. Several barriers to PA were identified (e.g., fear of IBD flare-up, fears initiated as early as IBD diagnosis).
Patients with IBD were found in this setting to be burdened by a significant rate of physical inactivity. Barriers persist on which to act to regain adherence to regular PA. As measured by the PRO-2, disease activity did not drastically affect PA. The IPAQ questionnaire showed excellent feasibility and ease of completion and interpretation.
Regular PA has multiple benefits (from cardiovascular health to psychological health), and it is necessary to make sure that patients with IBD practice it so that these benefits are not lost. It is appropriate for gastroenterologists to pay more attention to this aspect during medical visits. IPAQ can be a potential tool for recognising and monitoring physically inactive patients.