Article

Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often are sedentary and
have an increased risk of developing comorbid conditions. Women with RA are more
likely to experience challenges in maintaining an active lifestyle over their
life span than men with RA or people who are healthy. As the benefits of physical
activity (PA) are well known, measuring PA accurately in this population is
important. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were: (1) to characterize PA as
measured with the SenseWear Armband (SWA) in women with RA and (2) to determine
the measurement time frame to obtain consistent estimates of PA and daily energy
expenditure (EE) in women with RA. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study.
METHODS: Participants wore the SWA for 7 days. Measurements of daily total energy
expenditure (TEE), physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) during activities
at or above 1 metabolic equivalent (MET) level (PAEE>/=1MET), PAEE during
activities at or above 2 METs (PAEE>/=2METs), PAEE during activities at or above
3 METs (PAEE>/=3METs), and number of steps were obtained. RESULTS: Fifty-three
women participated. Complete data were obtained for 47 participants (89%). Daily
usage of the SWA was 98% of the time (23:31 hours/24 hours). Means (SD) were
2,099 (340) kcal/d for TEE, 1,050 (331) kcal/d for PAEE>/=1MET, 642 (309) kcal/d
for PAEE>/=2METs, 239 (178) kcal/d for PAEE>/=3METs, and 7,260 (2,710) for number
of steps. Results of intraclass correlation coefficient analyses and multiple
linear regressions indicated that 2 days were needed to reliably estimate TEE; 3
days for PAEE>/=1MET, PAEE>/=2METs, and number of steps; and 4 days for
PAEE>/=3METs. LIMITATIONS: The sample was composed of well-educated women with RA
who had mild to moderate difficulty performing daily activities. CONCLUSION: The
SWA may be useful to quantify PA in women with RA and to monitor effectiveness of
interventions aiming to increase PA levels. Minimizing the number of days
necessary for data collection will reduce the individual's burden and may improve
adherence in studies of PA behaviors.

Langue : ANGLAIS