For a study, researchers examined physical activity habits and their links to pain, function, exhaustion, and sleep disruption in people who had knee or hip osteoarthritis. Participants (n = 54) were recruited in a telephone-based physical activity coaching intervention study, with all data obtained from the start. Self-reported pain and function (WOMAC [Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index] subscales), weariness (10-point numeric rating scale), and PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System) Sleep Disturbance were gathered by phone. Participants received accelerometers, which they wore for at least 3 days. The percentage of time participants spent inactive throughout the morning (from wake until 12:00 pm), afternoon (12:00 pm until 5:59 pm), and evening (6:00 pm till sleep) each day were averaged across all days of wear. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationships between activity and self-reported variables.
The sedentary activity was prevalent among participants, accounting for 65.6% of mornings, 70.0% of afternoons, and 76.6% of nights. The associations between sedentary activity percent and reported outcomes were typically highest in the afternoon, most vital for WOMAC function, and lowest for PROMIS Sleep Disturbance. Sedentary time was most significantly connected with weariness in the later hours. Overall, the findings emphasized the need to reduce sedentary behavior in patients with osteoarthritis and suggested that behavioral treatments might be reinforced by considering patients’ within-day variance in symptoms and activity.
