Preferred Behavior Change Techniques for Physical Activity Interventions among Persons Newly Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

There is increasing interest by researchers and clinicians in behavior change interventions for promoting physical activity in persons newly diagnosed with MS. Ideally, such interventions require the delivery of behavior change techniques (BCTs) based on theory and the selection of BCTs might further require tailoring for this MS subpopulation. The current study examined BCTs preferred by persons newly diagnosed with MS for informing the design and delivery of physical activity behavior change interventions in early-stages of MS. We recruited and interviewed 20 persons newly diagnosed with MS (i.e., disease duration ≤ 2 years). The interviews were conducted online via video conferencing platform and followed a semi-structured script. During the interviews, participants provided opinions regarding an ideal physical activity behavior change program, and the opinions of participants were mapped with the Intervention Functions of the Behavior Change Wheel, BCTs, and BCT groups. Ten frequently mentioned BCTs were identified as preferred strategies for a physical activity behavior change intervention among persons newly diagnosed with MS. These BCTs focused on providing social support, skills and strategies for physical activity performance and regulation, and knowledge on benefits of physical activity in MS. This research provides a refined list of BCTs that can be included when designing tailored physical activity behavior change interventions for persons newly diagnosed with MS.

Keywords:

• Behavior change
• content analysis
• multiple sclerosis
• physical activity

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the persons who participated in this study. We thank the National MS Society for assistance with the recruitment process and Dr. Emma V. Richardson, for guidance and support on the rigor of the qualitative methodology.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32HL134634. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.