Internet-delivered behavioral intervention to increase physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis: Sustainability and secondary outcomes

Abstract

Physical activity is associated with many benefits, but persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) are less physically active than the general population. There is a critical need for research on methods of increasing and sustaining the physical activity levels of this population. This randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of an Internet-delivered and theory-based behavioral intervention that was supplemented with video coaching for increasing and sustaining physical activity over time in persons with MS. Physically inactive, ambulatory persons with MS (N = 45) were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 22) or control (n = 23) conditions and completed a battery of questionnaires before, after, and three months after a 12-week intervention period. Data analyses were conducted in PASW 18.0. Partial eta squared () effect size indicated that there was a large, statistically significant condition-by-time interaction on physical activity (). Cohen's d effect sizes indicated that the intervention group had a large increase in physical activity after the 12-week trial (d = .98) that was sustained over a three-month follow-up (d = .79). The current study supports the efficacy of a behavioral intervention for increasing and sustaining physical activity in a sample of persons with MS.

Keywords:

• multiple sclerosis
• physical activity
• quality of life
• walking mobility
• behavioral intervention

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Dr. Edward McAuley for his collaborative work in developing and testing the initial website content that we then refined for this specific study of persons with MS.