ORCID

Abstract

Abstract:Background: Physical activity plays a crucial role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life of people with Parkinsons. Despite substantial evidence supporting its benefits, people with Parkinson’s struggle to maintain an active lifestyle. This thesis explored the perspective of people with Parkinsons on their engagement in physical activity.Methodology: This research employed a person-centred approach, comprised of three sequential phases. Phase One: A systematic review utilising the JBI approach of meta-aggregation synthesised the best available qualitative evidence of people with Parkinson's' views and preferences regarding physical activity interventions. Phase Two: Constructive Grounded Theory was used to explore the beliefs, attitudes, and meaning of physical activity in people with Parkinson’s who self-identified as physically inactive. Phase Three: A quantitative cross-sectional survey methodology evaluated the impact of a physically active self-identity, alongside other identified correlates, on self-reported physical activity levels in people with Parkinson’s. Findings and discussion: Physical activity behaviour is multifaceted, as highlighted by the proposal of an overarching socio-ecological model, which reflects the interconnected levels of influence. Many of these influences are present in models of other long-term conditions, suggesting that effective strategies could be shared. Additionally, healthcare professionals could use this model to foster discussions around individual challenges, thereby developing a shared understanding as a foundation for person-centred care. A novel finding was the influence of self-identity, particularly the salience of a physically active self-identity, which helped inform the development of five distinct categories of engagement within Phase Two of the thesis. Understanding a person’s self-identity might lead to more tailored strategies to promote physical activity. In Phase Three, the quantitative evaluation of the relationship between self-identity and self-reported physically activity identified a weak association with limited explanatory power; a model incorporating a physically active self-identity, self-efficacy and fatigue, age, and gender explained only 25.1% of the variance in physical activity. While unexplained factors are also likely to influence physical activity behaviour, the literature suggests that it is possible to foster the development of an individual’s physically active self-identity, indicating that further evaluation in this area is warranted. Conclusion: This thesis has offered a unique perspective on the physical activity behaviour of people with Parkinson's across the spectrum of engagement, which has not been previously explored. Future research should explore the potential utility of a physically active self-identity in shaping strategies to promote and sustain physical activity engagement. Additionally, the views and experience of people supporting physical activity across the range of settings could be a valuable source of information to inform future strategies to enhance engagement.

Keywords

Parkinson's, Physical Activity, Experiences

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2025

Embargo Period

2025-02-10

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