Article

Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) often report being afraid of falling, and
this may have effects on physical activity (PA) engagement.
This study
investigated PA levels in persons with MS as a function of fall risk categories.
Forty-seven persons with MS participated in the study and were categorized into
either increased fall risk (IFR; n = 21; 55.5 +/- 9.0 years) or normal fall risk
(NFR; n = 26; 51.2 +/- 12.9 years) groups based on scores from the
Activities-Balance Confidence scale. PA was measured by accelerometer and
expressed as average steps per day, and time spent in sedentary behavior, light
PA, and moderate to vigorous physical activity over the course of 7 consecutive
days. Univariate and covariate analyses were used to compare the differences in
PA between fall risk groups. The average steps per day of the NFR group was
significant higher compared with the IFR group (6024 +/- 2533.1 vs. 2599 +/-
1622.7 steps; P < 0.001), and the difference remained after controlling for
disability level (5351 +/- 2298.6 vs. 3432 +/- 2363.6 steps; P = 0.016). There
were no differences in light PA and moderate to vigorous physical activity
between groups after controlling for disability level. Persons with MS at IFR
accumulate fewer steps per day compared with those at NFR. This underscores the
need for well-designed interventions targeting walking in this population who are
far from the recommended 10,000 steps, particularly those with IFR.

Langue : ANGLAIS