LOWER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC PANCREATITIS COMPARED TO CONTROLS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF OBJECTIVELY ASSESSED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

B. Monaghan¹, A. Monaghan¹, Q. Ul Ain², S.N. Duggan², K.C. Conlon², J. Gormley¹

¹University of Dublin, Trinity College, Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Dublin, Ireland, ²University of Dublin, Trinity College, Professional Surgical Unit, Department of Surgery, Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Background: The beneficial effects of exercise and physical activity (PA) have been demonstrated in many chronic inflammatory diseases. Knowledge on physical activity levels is unknown in the chronic pancreatitis population and there are currently no specific PA recommendations for this condition.

Purpose: To objectively measure levels of physical activity in the chronic pancreatitis population and compare it with a matched control group.

Methods: Physical activity was measured objectively over a 7- day period in 17 individuals with chronic pancreatitis using an accelerometer (Acti-graph) and in 15 controls, matched for age, sex, and body mass index.

Results: Participants with chronic pancreatitis spent a significantly lower amount of time in moderate and light activity compared to the control group. Mean time in light activity in the chronic pancreatitis group 825.4 + 972 (SD) compared to 1500 in the healthy control group +- 958. Moderate activity mean mins was 61.6 +-85 in the chronic pancreatitis group compared to 161.4 +-131.2. There was no significant difference found between the groups for either vigorous activity, moderate-vigorous physical activity or time spent sedentary.

Conclusions: This exploratory study offers early objective evidence that activity levels in the chronic pancreatic group are not meeting current international recommendations and warrant further investigation. Further investigation of this chronic illness population is strongly recommended.

Implications: This exploratory study offers early objective evidence to suggest that activity levels in patients with chronic pancreatic are lower than healthy controls and are not meeting current international recommendations for chronic disease. Research in this area is lacking, both in the measurement of habitual activity, as well as in determining the effects of exercise interventions.

Funding acknowledgements: There was no funding for this research project.

Keywords:
Physical Activity
Chronic Pancreatitis

Topics:
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Education: clinical
Community based rehabilitation

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: St James’s Hospital/Tallaght University Hospital.

Committee: St James’s Hospital/Tallaght University Hospital Research Ethics Committee 2021

Ethics number: Reference 2020-03 List 11.