https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0198-959X
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ABSTRACT
Background: Fatigue may include both physical and mental dimensions. Evidence suggests that physical and mental activity may influence fatigue in knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, how physical and mental activities relate to fatigue dimensions in knee OA is unclear.
Purpose: This study estimated intra-day contributions of physical and mental fatigue to general fatigue and evaluated temporal associations between physical activity, mental activity and fatigue dimensions in knee OA.
Methods: An intensive longitudinal study combined with ecological momentary assessment of mental activity intensity and fatigue dimensions was conducted on 23 participants with knee OA. Physical activity was monitored continuously with an accelerometer over 7 days.
Results: Physical fatigue contributed 33% more to general fatigue earlier in the day than mental fatigue, and 11% more near the end of the day. Within-day, previous general fatigue significantly and negatively predicted: future step counts, light intensity physical activity time, and light intensity physical activity + standing time. We found a significant bidirectional association between mental activity and general fatigue, a positive association between mental activity and mental fatigue and a significant negative association between mental fatigue and mental activity.
Conclusion: Within-day general fatigue may be a significant fatigue dimension that reduces physical activity. Conversely there was no evidence that physical activity might contribute to lower scores on any fatigue dimensions in this population. To manage general fatigue, physical and mental fatigue might have to be targeted more precisely at different time of the day.
Acknowledgements
This work is part of a PhD studentship project (REG2016_SHLS3) funded by Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, UK. However, the funding body did not play any part in preparing, writing and submitting this manuscript. The authors would like to thank the participants who partook and devoted their time to this study.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Correction Statement
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Henrietta O. Fawole
Henrietta O. Fawole is currently a PhD research student in the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University and a lecturer of physiotherapy at the University of Benin, Nigeria.
Andrea Dell’Isola
Andrea Dell’Isola is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Orthopaedics, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine at Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Martijn P. Steultjens
Martijn P. Steultjens is a professor of musculoskeletal health and the research lead of the musculoskeletal research group in the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Jody L. Riskowski
Jody L. Riskowski worked as a researcher in rheumatology, gait and biomechanics and was a member of the musculoskeletal research group in the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Sebastien F. M. Chastin
Sebastien FM. Chastin is a professor of health behaviour dynamics in the School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University and in the Department of Movement and Sports Sciences at Ghent University, Belgium.