PAIN-DETACT: Exploring determinants of physical activity levels in populations with persistent pain

PAIN-DETACT: Exploring determinants of physical activity levels in populations with persistent pain

Although physical activity is considered a pillar in the treatment of chronic pain, being physically active poses a challenge for these patients. Patients with low back pain and cancer survivors are not equal in terms of diagnosis, received treatment or life experiences, but both populations are impacted by a high prevalence of persistent pain. With this commonality, it is of interest to compare determinants of physical activity in both populations.

A cross-sectional design is used. Demographic data, condition-specific characteristics, physical activity levels, beliefs on illness and exercise and pain-related emotional factors are collected using questionnaires through an online survey. The aim is to present data on the associations between collected data and physical activity levels within each population and to compare these relationships between both populations. We hypothesize that significant associations will be found between the collected psychosocial factors and self-reported physical activity levels. We hypothesize that the found associations will differ between these two populations.

The understanding and comparison of the relationship between researched factors and physical activity can lead to more optimal interventions to promote physical activity in these populations. 

> Keywords: chronic pain, physical activity, cancer survivor