Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Gaps on rheumatologists’ knowledge of physical activity

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To assess the rheumatologists’ knowledge and willingness to prescribe physical activity, we conducted a nationwide survey. All adult and paediatric rheumatologist members of the Brazilian Rheumatology Society were invited to fulfil a questionnaire on their knowledge and willingness to promote physical activity. Four hundred twenty-eight rheumatologists participated in the survey, representing approximately 25% of the society’s members. Forty-five percent of the rheumatologists reported having had training to prescribe physical activity, and 68% believe that physical activity is a part of patients’ treatment. Most reported assessing physical activity levels (86%) and recommending physical activity (98%) always or most of the time. However, 48% do not know the minimum physical activity recommendations for health maintenance, nor do they know how much vigorous activity should be done in replacement of moderate activity. In addition, only 20% are aware of physical activity recommendation for paediatric patients, whereas 31% know that very light-intensity physical activity promotes health-related beneficial effects. Year of graduation, having been trained on physical activity prescription, and regularly recommending physical activity to patients did not associate with the overall score of correct answers (OR: 1.00 [0.99, 1.02], p = 0.391; OR: 0.99 [0.69, 1.44], p = 983; OR: 0.90 [0.61, 1.32], p = 0.576; respectively). Rheumatologists are highly willing to promote physical activity, but major gaps in their knowledge were identified. Given the widespread recognition of physical activity as a key element on the management of rheumatic patients, these data hint to the need of incorporating physical activity in the rheumatologist’ training.

Key Points

• This survey showed that rheumatologists are highly prone to promote physical activity.

• However, rheumatologists have major gaps in knowledge of physical activity.

• Adding physical activity to rheumatologist’s training programs is key to improve physical activity promotion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  1. Booth FW, Roberts CK, Laye MJ (2012) Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Compr Physiol 2(2):1143–1211. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c110025

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Biswas A, Oh PI, Faulkner GE, Bajaj RR, Silver MA, Mitchell MS, Alter DA (2015) Sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 162(2):123–132. https://doi.org/10.7326/M14-1651

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rausch Osthoff AK, Niedermann K, Braun J, Adams J, Brodin N, Dagfinrud H, Duruoz T, Esbensen BA, Gunther KP, Hurkmans E, Juhl CB, Kennedy N, Kiltz U, Knittle K, Nurmohamed M, Pais S, Severijns G, Swinnen TW, Pitsillidou IA, Warburton L, Yankov Z, Vliet Vlieland TPM (2018) 2018 EULAR recommendations for physical activity in people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 77(9):1251–1260. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-213585

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Gualano B, Bonfa E, Pereira RMR, Silva CA (2017) Physical activity for paediatric rheumatic diseases: standing up against old paradigms. Nat Rev Rheumatol 13(6):368–379. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.75

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Perandini LA, de Sa-Pinto AL, Roschel H, Benatti FB, Lima FR, Bonfa E, Gualano B (2012) Exercise as a therapeutic tool to counteract inflammation and clinical symptoms in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Autoimmun Rev 12(2):218–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2012.06.007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Pinto AJ, Roschel H, de Sa Pinto AL, Lima FR, Pereira RMR, Silva CA, Bonfa E, Gualano B (2017) Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior: overlooked risk factors in autoimmune rheumatic diseases? Autoimmun Rev 16(7):667–674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2017.05.001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Pinto AJ, Miyake CN, Benatti FB, Silva CA, Sallum AM, Borba E, de Sa-Pinto AL, Bonfa E, Gualano B (2016) Reduced aerobic capacity and quality of life in physically inactive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with mild or inactive disease. Arthritis Care Res 68(12):1780–1786. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.22905

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Pinto AJ, Yazigi Solis M, de Sa Pinto AL, Silva CA, Maluf Elias Sallum A, Roschel H, Gualano B (2016) Physical (in) activity and its influence on disease-related features, physical capacity, and health-related quality of life in a cohort of chronic juvenile dermatomyositis patients. Semin Arthritis Rheum 46(1):64–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semarthrit.2016.03.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Dunlop M, Murray AD (2013) Major limitations in knowledge of physical activity guidelines among UK medical students revealed: implications for the undergraduate medical curriculum. Br J Sports Med 47(11):718–720. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091891

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Scott H, Adams J, Osborne S, Jenkins E, Oliver CW, Baker G, Mutrie N, Kelly P, Fawkner S (2017) Infographic: tomorrow’s doctors want to learn more about physical activity for health. Br J Sports Med 51(8):624–625. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096806

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Huijg JM, Gebhardt WA, Verheijden MW, van der Zouwe N, de Vries JD, Middelkoop BJ, Crone MR (2015) Factors influencing primary health care professionals’ physical activity promotion behaviors: a systematic review. Int J Behav Med 22(1):32–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9398-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Department of Health (2009) Let’s get moving- a new physical activity care pathway for the NHS: commissioning guidance. London

  13. Royal College of Physicians (2012) Exercise for life: physical activity in health and disease. London

  14. Chinapaw MJ, Mokkink LB, van Poppel MN, van Mechelen W, Terwee CB (2010) Physical activity questionnaires for youth: a systematic review of measurement properties. Sports Med 40(7):539–563. https://doi.org/10.2165/11530770-000000000-00000

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. van Poppel MN, Chinapaw MJ, Mokkink LB, van Mechelen W, Terwee CB (2010) Physical activity questionnaires for adults: a systematic review of measurement properties. Sports Med 40(7):565–600. https://doi.org/10.2165/11531930-000000000-00000

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Watkins AL (1959) Therapeutic exercise in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2(1):21–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Brazilian Rheumatology Society for providing us with the full list of members.

Funding

AJP, EB, and BG were supported by Sao Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP [2015/26937-4; 2015/03756-4; 2017/13552-2]. BG, CAS, and EB were supported by Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento [301914/2017-6; 303422/2015-7 and 305242/2019-9]. CAS was supported by Núcleo de Apoio à Pesquisa “Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente” da USP (NAP-CriAd).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Physiology & Nutrition Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sport, Laboratory of Assessment and Conditioning in Rheumatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 455, 3° andar, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil

    Camilla Astley, Ana Jessica Pinto & Bruno Gualano

  2. Rheumatology Division, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Eloisa Bonfá, Clovis Artur Almeida da Silva & Bruno Gualano

  3. Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, Children’s Institute, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Clovis Artur Almeida da Silva

  4. Food Research Center, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Bruno Gualano

Authors
  1. Camilla Astley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ana Jessica Pinto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Eloisa Bonfá
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Clovis Artur Almeida da Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bruno Gualano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conception and design: AJP, CAS, and BG

Data collection: CA

Data analysis and interpretation: CA, AJP, EB, CAS, and BG

Manuscript writing: AJP and BG

Manuscript revision: CA, EB, and CAS

All authors have reviewed and approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruno Gualano.

Ethics declarations

Disclosures

None.

Ethical approval

This trial was approved by our local ethical committee (approval number: 2.134.897).

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

ESM 1

(DOCX 19 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Astley, C., Pinto, A.J., Bonfá, E. et al. Gaps on rheumatologists’ knowledge of physical activity. Clin Rheumatol 40, 2907–2911 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-05540-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-05540-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation