29 Clinical and Behavioral Predictors of Resilience and Self-Efficacy in Adults With IBD Participating in a Peer-Supported Athletic Training Program

Background: Higher resilience and self-efficacy have been associated with lower disease activity, improved quality of life, and reduced surgery rates in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the general adult population, regular physical activity has been shown to enhance both resilience and self-efficacy. However, people with IBD face unique psychosocial barriers to engaging in physical activity. Team Challenge is a peer-supported endurance training program in which individuals with IBD train for and complete an athletic event (e.g., 5K, half-marathon, marathon, cycling event, or triathlon) while raising funds for IBD research. Throughout the program, participants receive guidance from coaches and support from peers. This study aimed to examine the impact of Team Challenge participation on resilience and self-efficacy, measured at baseline and after completion of the participant’s chosen event. Methods: A cross-sectional baseline analysis was conducted. Eligible participants were adults (≥18 years) with self-reported IBD who were signed up for a Team Challenge event taking place in Summer/Fall of 2025. Demographics, IBD history, and physical activity habits were collected via a Qualtrics survey. Resilience was measured using the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) and self-efficacy was measured using the IBD self-efficacy scale (IBD-SES). Both scales were converted into quartiles. Ordinal logistic regression (PROC GENMOD, SAS 9.4) was used to examine unadjusted associations between each predictor (gender, diagnosis type, years since diagnosis, age, remission status, and weekly hours of exercise) and the outcomes of resilience and self-efficacy. Results: Thirty-three participants (mean age 41.1 ± 11.8 years; 73% female; 94% White) completed the baseline survey. Most participants were employed full-time (79%), had Crohn’s disease (73%), and were in remission (75%). Mean disease duration was 16.9 ± 11.3 years, 36% had a history of surgery, and 73% were currently on biologic therapy. Participants reported an average of 8 ± 4.7 hours of exercise per week. Median baseline resilience score was 33.0 (IQR: 30–37) and median baseline self-efficacy score was 102.0 (IQR: 92–113). In unadjusted analyses, remission was significantly associated with higher resilience (OR = 10.47, 95% CI: 1.75–62.70, P = 0.01) and higher self-efficacy (OR = 5.73, 95% CI: 1.23–26.64, P = 0.03). Weekly exercise hours were positively associated with resilience (OR = 1.20 per hour, 95% CI: 1.03–1.40, P = 0.02) but not with self-efficacy (P = 0.54). Gender, diagnosis type, years since diagnosis, and age were not significantly associated with either outcome (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: In this cohort of adult IBD patients participating in Team Challenge endurance athletic events, being in remission and engaging in greater weekly physical activity were associated with higher baseline resilience, while remission was also linked to higher baseline self-efficacy. These findings highlight the importance of disease control and physical activity in fostering resilience and self-efficacy among IBD patients. Post-event analyses will determine whether Team Challenge participation produces meaningful improvements in resilience and self-efficacy, providing further evidence that non-clinical, psychosocial interventions can be an integral component of comprehensive IBD care.