Persisting with physical activity during an arthritis flare: Do pain acceptance and self-regulatory efficacy predict?

Abstract

Past research indicates that greater self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) and pain acceptance (AE) are associated with higher levels of physical activity (PA) in people with arthritis. Greater SRE has also characterized those individuals who meet recommended levels of PA while experiencing a spike in disease symptoms (flares: Gyurcsik et al, in press). However, self-regulatory process variables leading to PA (e.g., persistence) remain unexamined. We hypothesized that both AE and SRE would predict persistence with PA despite the challenge of an arthritis flare. We examined 33 adults with arthritis in both flare and non-flare conditions. We measured SRE to a) schedule/plan PA (SRE-SP), b) overcome symptom barriers (SRE-AB), as well as pain acceptance (AE) and anticipatory persistence for PA during a flare. Paired t-test results showed that individuals were significantly less efficacious (SRE-SP : p<.001; SRE-AB: p<.001) in self-regulating PA during a flare supporting the notion that flares are perceived to exceed the challenge of day-to-day arthritis barriers. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to predict persistence. AE was entered first in the model and accounted for 22% of the variance, p<.005. However, when SRE-SP was entered, it was the only significant predictor (R2adj =.52, p<.001). Findings confirm that a) flares are perceived as more challenging to being active and b) as SRE increases so does persistence to PA despite being in a flare.

Acknowledgments: Funded by CIHR Frederick Banting and Charles Best MasterÔÇÖs Award and Canada Research Chair training funds.