Assessing Walking Programs in Fibromyalgia: A Concordance Study between Measures.

This study analyzes the degree of agreement between three self-report measures (Walking Behavior, WALK questionnaire and logbooks) assessing adherence to walking programs through reporting their components (minutes, rests, times a week, consecutive weeks) and their concordance with a standard self-report of physical activity (IPAQ-S questionnaire) and an objective, namely number of steps (pedometer), in 275 women with fibromyalgia. Regularized partial correlation networks were selected as the analytic framework. Three network models based on two different times of assessment, namely T1 and T2, including 6 weeks between both, were used. WALK and the logbook were connected with Walking Behavior and also with the IPAQ-S. The logbook was associated with the pedometers (Z-score > 1 in absolute value). When the behavior was assessed specifically and in a detailed manner, participants' results for the different self-report measures were in agreement. Specific self-report methods provide detailed information that is consistent with validated self-report measures (IPAQ-S) and objective measures (pedometers). The self-report measures that assess the behavioral components of physical activity are useful when studying the implementation of walking as physical exercise.

Assessing Self-Efficacy for Physical Activity and Walking Exercise in Women with Fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Exercise and physical activity are an evidence-based practice for chronic pain. Health professionals need instruments to assess self-efficacy for this practice taking into account the specific barriers of patients with these health problems. PURPOSE: To develop and test the psychometric properties of a new self-efficacy scale for physical activity and walking exercise in patients with fibromyalgia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional and prospective study was conducted in a Spanish Fibromyalgia Unit. Two hundred and eleven new patients signed the informed consent and participated in the study. All of them were women, referred to by either Primary or Specialized Health Care. In addition to the new scale, they filled out several self-reported and validated instruments to collect the data present in this study. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis showed a three-factor model (GFI = .99; RMSR = .06) that explained 74.2% of the total variance. They assessed how confident patients felt about walking quickly in both 30- and 60-minute sessions, (Factor I: 10 items; α = .97), to perform daily physical activities (Factor II: 10 items; α = .93) and to undertake moderate physical activity (Factor III: 5 items; α = .95). The total score of the scale and the three-factor scores showed good criterion validity and adequate validity based on the relationships with other constructs. CONCLUSIONS: The scale showed adequate psychometric properties and can be a useful tool to help health professionals monitor patients' self-efficacy perception and customize both physical activity and walking exercise intervention goals and their implementation.