MELODIC: Maintaining Exercise Long-term
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Maintaining Exercise Long-term: On Determining Influences on Chronic-Widespread Pain (the MELODIC study)
IRAS ID
165871
Contact name
Kathryn Martin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Aberdeen
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The prevalence of chronic widespread pain (CWP) ranges from 11% to 24% in the population and is more often found among women and with advancing age. CWP is associated with poor psychosocial health (e.g., depression/anxiety), greater functional limitations, poorer sleep quality, and lower health-related quality of life. Individuals with CWP often seek medical care for musculoskeletal pain and are high users of health-care resources. Good clinical management of CWP patients is therefore needed, yet treatment can be complex and requires both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. Exercise and physical activity (PA), a non-pharmacological therapy, has been demonstrated as beneficial for those with CWP in reducing pain, yet should be maintained for maximum health and symptom benefit. This study aims to follow-up individuals with chronic widespread pain (CWP) who underwent an intervention and assess levels of long-term PA maintenance by establishing PA trajectories by administering a questionnaire. The study also aims to qualitatively elucidate factors, using focus group discussions, that contribute to PA maintenance/non-maintenance and to query non-maintainers about factors or support that may have been needed to continue an exercise regime. The results of this study will help to develop future non-pharmacological interventions with booster components tailored to individuals with CWP, to ultimately help inform therapeutic options for the NHS to offer to patients with CWP.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/YH/0026
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jan 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion