Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug 18;10(1):786-805.
doi: 10.1080/21642850.2022.2112197. eCollection 2022.

The role of worry in exercise and physical activity behavior of people with multiple sclerosis

Megan Ware  1   2 , Patrick O'Connor  2 , Kristen Bub  3 , Deborah Backus  4 , Kevin McCully  2
Affiliations

The role of worry in exercise and physical activity behavior of people with multiple sclerosis

Megan Ware et al. Health Psychol Behav Med. .

Abstract

Purpose: This study is a secondary analysis of data from a mixed methods exploration of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. During initial analysis, worry emerged during discussions of the fatigue experience. The purpose of this study is to explore worry in relationship to exercise and physical activity behavior.

Methods: Mixed methods were used to address the research question. 55 people with MS provided demographic and survey data (habitual physical activity, body perception, functioning). 35 participated in semi-structured interviews on the topics of fatigue, body sensations, emotions, and their effects on physical activity. Qualitative data were analyzed utilizing constructivist grounded theory. Quantitative data were analyzed utilizing multiple regression.

Results: Qualitative theory described participants' thoughts and experiences regarding the consequences of fatigue during activity, and how they appear to influence subsequent actions. Worry played a critical role in thought processes regarding physical activity. Aspects of body perception were weak quantitative predictors of physical activity behavior after control of physical functionality.

Conclusions: The most significant finding of this study was the description and dialogue about worry as a factor that shapes perceptions of the benefits and value of exercise and physical activity. Physical activity practitioners could benefit from seeking to understand physical-activity-related worry when examining physical activity behavior and designing programming.

Keywords: Worry; exercise; fatigue; mixed methods; multiple sclerosis; physical activity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Grounded theory model results.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Borkoles, E., Nicholls, A. R., Bell, K., Butterly, R., & Polman, R. C. J. (2008). The lived experiences of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in relation to exercise. Psychology & Health, 23(4), 427–441. - PubMed
    1. Bruce, J. M., & Arnett, P. (2009). Clinical correlates of generalized worry in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 31(6), 698–705. - PubMed
    1. Burschka, J. M., Keune, P. M., Oy, U.-v., Oschmann, P., & Kuhn, P. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in multiple sclerosis: Beneficial effects of Tai Chi on balance, coordination, fatigue and depression. BMC Neurology, 14(165), 1–9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Campo, C. G., Salamone, P., Sinay, V., Bruno, D., Cassará, F. P., Garcia, A., … Ibañez, A. (2019). Interoception as a neurocognitive mechanism underlying fatigue in multiple sclerosis (P5.2-090). Neurology, 92, P5.2–P090.
    1. Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded theory: Objectivist and constructivist methods. Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2, 509–535.

LinkOut - more resources