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Daily Spousal Influence on Physical Activity in Knee Osteoarthritis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Physical activity is critical for the management of knee osteoarthritis, and the spouse may play a role in encouraging or discouraging physical activity.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine four types of spousal influence—spouses’ daily activity, autonomy support, pressure, and persuasion—on the daily physical activity of adults living with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods

A total of 141 couples reported their daily experiences for 22 days using a handheld computer and wore an accelerometer to measure moderate activity and steps.

Results

Spouses’ autonomy support for patient physical activity, as well as their own level of activity, was concurrently associated with patients’ greater daily moderate activity and steps. In addition, on days when male patients perceived that spouses exerted more pressure to be active, they spent less time in moderate activity.

Conclusions

Couple-oriented interventions for knee osteoarthritis should target physical activity in both partners and spousal strategies for helping patients stay active.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R01 AG026010).

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Penn State University, 114-J Henderson North, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Lynn M. Martire Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Mary Ann Parris Stephens Ph.D.

  3. Center for Healthy Aging, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Jacqueline Mogle Ph.D.

  4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Richard Schulz Ph.D.

  5. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Jennifer Brach Ph.D.

  6. Department of Psychiatry, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Francis J. Keefe Ph.D.

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  1. Lynn M. Martire Ph.D.
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  2. Mary Ann Parris Stephens Ph.D.
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  3. Jacqueline Mogle Ph.D.
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  4. Richard Schulz Ph.D.
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  5. Jennifer Brach Ph.D.
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  6. Francis J. Keefe Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Lynn M. Martire Ph.D..

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Martire, L.M., Stephens, M.A.P., Mogle, J. et al. Daily Spousal Influence on Physical Activity in Knee Osteoarthritis. ann. behav. med. 45, 213–223 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9442-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9442-x

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