The characteristics, components, and fidelity of interventions promoting physical activity in people living with musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review

Purpose:

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs) create a significant burden on individuals and healthcare systems. Physical activity (PA) is recommended to support people with MSKDs. Limited understanding exists of the components, characteristics, and fidelity of interventions aiming to support transition to increased PA. Determining what works to support transition to increased PA is therefore difficult. This systematic review aims to address this gap and summarise the common traits of interventions that helped improve PA in people with MSKDs.

Methods:

Systematic search and review were undertaken to find effectiveness studies of PA interventions in MSKDs. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) was used to extract intervention components and characteristics. Risk of bias was assessed. A narrative synthesis was deployed.

Results:

Searches retrieved 3027 studies. Thirty-four full texts were reviewed with 14 included. Interventions reporting positive PA outcomes all contained: exercise and behavioural change components, delivery by health care professionals, 13 or more exercise sessions, individual tailoring, and assessment of adherence.

Conclusions:

The TIDieR framework creates standardisation to understand PA interventions for people with MSKDs. To ensure interventions meet the needs of populations, there is need to improve implementation design and understand which BC components are the most optimal.