Exploring professional circus artists’ experience of performance-related injury and management

AIMS: Circus is a physically demanding profession, but injury and help-seeking rates tend to be low. This qualitative interview study explored the perceptions and beliefs about injury and help-seeking of circus artists. METHODS: Ten professional circus artists (5 males, 5 females; mean age 33 yrs, range 27-42) were enrolled. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation of themes was reached. Data were analysed thematically. FINDINGS: Four themes were identified: 1) the injured artist; 2) professionalism; 3) circus life; and 4) artists' experience of healthcare. Most participants described the circus as central to their lives, and injuries had wide-ranging psychosocial consequences. Injury adversely affected participants' mood and threatened their identity. Situational and personal factors (e.g., the belief that pain was normal) pushed participants to use adaptive strategies to perform when injured. Continuous touring and financial constraints affected help-seeking. Easy access to healthcare was rare and participants often self-managed injuries. Experiences of healthcare varied, and participants desired flexible and accessible approaches to prevention and injury management. A modified version of the integrated model of psychological response to injury and rehabilitation process and the concept of identity provided a framework to understand participants. CONCLUSION: Injuries had extensive negative consequences. Work schedules, financial factors, employer support, the artist's perception of the importance of the show, and the relationship between circus and identity influenced injury management and help-seeking. Injury prevention and management strategies could be optimised by developing centres of expertise, online resources, and better regulations of the profession

Inequity in exercise-based interventions for adults with rheumatoid arthritis : a systematic review

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review describes the extent to which PROGRESS-Plus equity factors were considered in the eligibility criteria of trials of exercise interventions for adults with RA. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for published (Cinahl, Embase, Medline, Physiotherapy Evidence Database), unpublished (Opengrey) and registered ongoing (International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number registry) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise interventions for adults with RA. Two authors independently performed study selection and quality assessment (Cochrane risk of bias tool). RESULTS: A total of 9696 records were identified. After screening, 50 trials were included. All trials had either some concerns or high risk of bias and reported at least one PROGRESS-Plus equity factor within the eligibility criteria; this included place of residence, personal characteristics (age and disability), language, sex, social capital, time-dependent factors or features of relationship factors. Where reported, this equated to exclusion of 457 of 1337 potential participants (34%) based on equity factors. CONCLUSION: This review identified the exclusion of potential participants within exercise-based interventions for people with RA based on equity factors that might affect health-care opportunities and outcomes. This limits the generalizability of results, and yet this evidence is used to inform management and service design. Trials need to optimize participation, particularly for people with cardiovascular conditions, older adults and those with cognitive impairments. Reasons for exclusions need to be justified. Further research needs to address health inequalities to improve treatment accessibility and the generalizability of research findings. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42021260941

“It’s important to buy in to the new lifestyle”:barriers and facilitators of exercise adherence in a population with persistent musculoskeletal pain

INTRODUCTION: Exercise and physical activity may improve pain and function in people with persistent musculoskeletal pain, but adherence is often low. Understanding the barriers and facilitators of exercise adherence could aid in the development of an intervention to promote exercise adherence. This study explored the factors influencing adherence to prescribed exercise in people with persistent musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain. Registered physiotherapists specializing in the treatment of persistent musculoskeletal pain were recruited to two focus groups. Data was analyzed using framework analysis informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. FINDINGS: Twenty patient participants (mean age = 44 years, standard deviation = 14) and ten physiotherapists (mean duration registered = 11 years, standard deviation = 5) were included. Four themes were identified: the role of environment, the therapeutic relationship, facilitating engagement with self-management and the influence of pain and negative affect. The Health Action Process Approach was identified as an appropriate model to inform intervention development. CONCLUSIONS: Personal, social, and environmental factors as well as the relationship with the physiotherapist influences exercise adherence. These findings may inform practice and the development of theoretically-informed interventions to enhance exercise adherence in people with persistent musculoskeletal pain.Implications for rehabilitationExercise and physical activity can decrease pain while improving mobility in a population with persistent musculoskeletal pain, but adherence to prescribed programs is low.The physical and social environment, the influence of pain, and negative affect may act as barriers to exercise adherence, while fostering a collaborative therapeutic relationship and facilitating self-management may enhance exercise adherence.The findings from the current study align with the constructs theorized by the Health Action Process Approach to support initiation and maintenance of behavior. This may provide a suitable theoretical framework to support the development of a targeted intervention.Healthcare providers, specifically physiotherapists, may find that facilitating self-management strategies that emphasize coping skills to overcome personal, social and environmental barriers may enhance exercise adherence in their patients

Patient involvement in the development of a handbook for moderate rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND: Self‐management is a key recommendation for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Educational materials may support self‐management, and increasingly patients are becoming involved with the development of these materials. The TITRATE trial compares the effectiveness of intensive management to standard care in patients with moderate RA across England. As part of the intensive management intervention, participants are given a handbook. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop a handbook to support the intensive management. The objectives were to: (i) involve patients in the identification of relevant information for inclusion in the TITRATE handbook; (ii) ensure the content of the handbook is acceptable and accessible. DESIGN: We held an audio‐taped workshop with RA patients. The transcript of the workshop was analysed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Five main themes were identified as follows: ‘rheumatoid arthritis treatment, perceptions of rheumatoid arthritis, the importance of individualized goals, benefits of self‐management and the patient handbook’. Feedback from the workshop was incorporated into the handbook, and patients’ anonymous testimonies were added. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that patient contribution to the development of educational material to support intensive management of RA is both feasible and valuable. A qualitative evaluation of the use and impact of the handbook with patients and practitioners is planned on completion of the TITRATE trial

Inequity in exercise-based interventions for adults with intermittent claudication due to peripheral arterial disease : a systematic review

PURPOSE: To determine the equity in access to trials of exercise interventions for adults with intermittent claudication due to peripheral arterial disease. METHODS: Systematic electronic database searches of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, PEDRO, Opengrey, ISRCTN and ClinincalTrials.gov for randomised controlled trials of exercise interventions for adults with intermittent claudication were conducted. Data extraction was informed by Cochrane's PROGRESS-Plus framework. RESULTS: Searches identified 6412 records. Following the screening of 262 full texts, 49 trials including 3695 participants were included. All trials excluded potential participants on at least one equity factor. This comprised place of residence, language, sex, personal characteristics (e.g., age and disability), features of relationships (e.g., familial risk factors) and time-dependent factors, (e.g., time since revascularisation). Overall, 1839 of 7567 potential participants (24.3%) were excluded based on equity factors. Disability was the most frequently reported factor for exclusions. CONCLUSION: Trialists endeavour to enrol a representative sample in exercise trials whilst preserving the safety profile of the intervention. This review highlights that these efforts can inadvertently lead to inequities in access as all trials excluded potential participants on at least one equity factor. Future exercise trials should optimise participation to maximise generalisability of findings. PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020189965.Implications for rehabilitationEquity factors influence health opportunities and outcomes.All trials of exercise for people with intermittent claudication excluded adults on at least one equity factor.Disability was the predominant factor for exclusions from trials.Trials should optimise participation to maximise generalisability of results as these findings are used to inform treatment and service design