Physical activity among people with an inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review of antecedents.
Cameron Trim, Sharan Srinivasa Gopalan, Ryan Rhodes
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review synthesized research on factors associated with physical activity among people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including differences between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Searches identified 14 eligible papers involving 3,985 participants. Modified thematic analysis of quantitative and qualitative findings identified disease activity, fatigue, depression, pain and urgency as the most influential antecedents. These factors mapped to physical capability, reflective motivation and physical opportunity in the COM-B behaviour-change model. The review also found indications that people with Crohn’s disease face more barriers and undertake less total physical activity, but the authors cautioned that few studies support this comparison.
Key findings
- Across 14 papers and 3,985 participants, disease activity, fatigue, depression, pain and urgency were the most influential antecedents of physical activity.
- The identified antecedents affected physical capability, reflective motivation and physical opportunity in the COM-B model.
- People with Crohn’s disease appeared to face more barriers and engage in less total physical activity than those with ulcerative colitis, but few studies informed this finding.
Why it matters
Understanding barriers to physical activity can help frame interventions around the challenges people with IBD report, rather than treating activity as a matter of motivation alone. The review highlights symptoms and disease activity alongside opportunity and capability, while its tentative subgroup comparison underscores the need for stronger evidence before assuming barriers are consistent across IBD diagnoses.
What to keep in mind
The Crohn’s disease–ulcerative colitis comparison was based on a small number of studies. The authors also noted a need for longitudinal and experimental research and more homogeneous samples to enable definitive quantitative synthesis.