Factors Associated With Social Participation in Persons Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Perceptions, behaviours and barriers towards exercise practices in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic disease affecting the digestive tract, has a significant impact on health-related quality of life. Pharmaceutical treatment is typically adopted, yet exercise is increasingly becoming recognized as an adjunct therapy. This study aimed to explore the perspectives, behaviours, and barriers of IBD patients in terms of their exercise habits. A 16-item closed-ended questionnaire was completed by 463 adult IBD patients (Ulcerative colitis = 57.02%, Crohn's dis-ease = 40.60% and Other = 2.38%) (Female = 76.67%, Male = 22.46 and Non-binary = 0.86%). The questionnaire was divided into three sections: baseline/demographic characteristics, disease characteristics, and exercise perceptions, beliefs, and behaviours. Significantly (P<0.001) more participants (63.07%) reported that they engage regularly with exercise compared to those who do not; however, engagement was significantly lower in female patients (59.72%) compared to males (74.04%). Respondents also rated significantly (P<0.001) that a combination of factors prevents engagement in exercise (74.30%). Moderate intensity exercise was the predominant (P<0.001) aerobic modality (39.04%), the majority (P<0.001) response was that patients undertake no resistance training (27.74%), and significantly more (P<0.001) patients indicated that they don't know whether resistance training can influence IBD either positively (57.53%) or negatively (62.33%). Whilst it is encouraging that IBD patients are engaging regularly with exercise, the reduced levels of engagement in females and lack of knowledge/ engagement with resistance training, indicate that future implementation and educational developments are necessary to enhance exercise in females and resistance training engagement in all IBD patients.

Social participation during the COVID-19 pandemic in persons with a high risk for a severe course of COVID-19 - results of a longitudinal, multi-center observational study in Germany

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how people go about their daily lives, often in various and substantial ways. This study aims to prospectively evaluate the changes in social participation during the COVID-19 pandemic in persons with a high risk for a severe COVID-19 course in Germany.

Methods

A paper-pencil-based survey was conducted starting at March 2021. Participants filled out questionnaires at four time points based on their COVID-19 vaccination status: before COVID-19 vaccination, one month, six months and twelve months after COVID-19 vaccination. Social participation measures included the Pandemic Social Participation Questionnaire (PSP-Q) and the Index for measuring participation restrictions (IMET). Repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-test were used to test for changes between time-points. Repeated measures correlation was used to assess the relationship between social participation and local COVID-19 incidences.

Results

Data from 245 participants was analyzed before and one month after COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, data from 156 participants was analyzed at time points one, six and twelve months after COVID-19. PSP-Q and IMET scores changed significantly after participants received a COVID-19 vaccination. Between one month and twelve months after vaccination, social participation improved significantly measured by PSP-Q. Social participation was negatively correlated with regional COVID-19 incidences before and after COVID-19 vaccination. Social participation was positively correlated with COVID-19 incidences between one month and twelve months after COVID-19 vaccination.

Conclusions

Social participation improved in persons with a high risk for a severe COVID-19 course during the pandemic. The local COVID-19 incidence showed a negative association with social participation only until the fall of 2021 when it was used as the sole metric to regulate COVID-19 protective measures. Although our data describes the trends in social participation, further studies are needed to identify the influencing factors for the observed increase in social participation.