Physical Activity And Health-related Quality Of Life In Crohn's Disease

Adults with Crohn's disease (CD) often report lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than the general population, even during periods of quiescent disease. Research suggests that physical activity (PA), particularly moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), may support HRQoL in many chronic conditions, yet there is limited research on this relationship in CD. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between MVPA and HRQoL in adults with CD. METHODS: Forty-two participants with CD were recruited, of whom 33 had complete data and were included in the analysis. MVPA was self-reported using the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire Health Contribution Score (GLTEQ HCS), and daily ambulatory MVPA and sedentary behavior were measured via waist-worn accelerometers over a 7-day period. Disease activity was assessed using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) and HRQoL was measured via the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (sIBDQ). The relationships between self-report and accelerometer-derived MVPA, disease activity, and HRQoL were evaluated using Spearman rank-order correlations (ρ). RESULTS: Among the 33 participants analyzed, 76% were female, the mean age was 40.3 ± 12.0 years, the disease duration was 17.0 ± 11.3 years, and fewer than half (40.5%) were in remission based on HBI scores. The mean GLTEQ HCS was 24.5 ± 18.3, suggesting that most participants approached the threshold for being categorized as physically active. However, accelerometer-measured MVPA fell short of general PA guidelines, with participants averaging 21.3 ± 19.4 min/day of MVPA. Participants in remission engaged in significantly more MVPA than those with active disease (M = 31.1 vs. 15.2 min/day, respectively; p = .014), but self-reported MVPA did not significantly differ by disease activity (p = .250). Accelerometer-measured MVPA was positively correlated with HRQoL (ρ = .356; p = .042) and negatively correlated with disease activity (ρ = -.498; p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: MVPA was associated with better HRQoL and lower disease activity in adults with CD. These findings suggest that promoting MVPA may be beneficial to this population by improving both HRQoL and disease outcomes. Supported by: Supported by NIH Grant F31DK137416