Types of physical activity and applied outcome measures in physical activity interventions among patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a scoping review

While pharmacological treatments remain essential in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), complementary approaches such as physical activity are increasingly being explored for their potential benefits. This scoping review aimed to map and describe the types of physical activity interventions studied in individuals with IBD and applied outcome measures. A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. Studies were included if reporting on interventions involving physical activity in people with IBD. A total of 34 studies were included, with 12 studies being randomized controlled trials, 13 pilot studies, and nine non-randomized intervention studies. Thirteen studies were available as conference abstracts and 21 as full-text articles. Across all studies, 1,449 participants were included with 797 suffering from Crohn’s disease, 438 with ulcerative colitis, and 214 as unspecified IBD. The most frequently studied activities included resistance training, walking, aerobic exercise, and yoga. Intervention durations ranged from a single session to 12 months. Most frequently applied outcome measures were disease-specific health-related quality of life and disease activity. The studies varied widely in design, sample size, type and duration of physical activity, and outcome measures. Most studies were small-scale pilot or non-randomized studies, relatively few were randomized controlled trials. These findings highlight the need for larger, methodologically rigorous trials to better understand the role of physical activity in IBD management and to support evidence-based clinical recommendations.