NRAS collaborates with research by Bangor University, Wales

We are very pleased to be able to collaborate with Bangor University and to help them with an important study relating to exercise. Recently, research in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has focused on the influence of exercise. Most of this research has been conducted in a ‘laboratory’ setting. Much less is known about what exercise is actually being done by people with RA in the community, and importantly, what are their thoughts and beliefs regarding doing exercise whilst living with RA.

From focus group discussions involving people with RA, Bangor University have developed a questionnaire designed to assess these/your perceptions and are delighted to be collaborating with NRAS as they begin to determine these perceptions in a wider population.

In addition to informing NRAS members of their findings, they anticipate that the information gained will be used to encourage health professionals to consider the findings in their practice and allow them to enhance their approach to exercise prescription.

Their research is entitled ‘Current perceptions of the effects of exercise on joint health in RA’.

The following is an extract from the front page of their online questionnaire:

This questionnaire is part of our study 'Current perceptions of the effects of exercise on joint health in rheumatoid arthritis'. To investigate these perceptions we have developed a questionnaire using information from focus group discussions involving people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). By administering this questionnaire, we are able to collect information from a large number of people, which will allow us to assess these perceptions on a wider scale. The overall objective of this research is to further the knowledge of health professionals so that they can provide an enhanced patient-centred approach to exercise prescription.


In addition, we will encourage those involved with looking after RA patients to consider the implications of our results (i.e. to adopt a particular approach towards RA patients and exercise).

If you would be willing to help and take part in this study, please click the following link to undertake the questionnaire.

https://survey.psychology.bangor.ac.uk/jointhealthexercise_ra_2

Thank you very much indeed!