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Aim To provide detailed descriptions of the amount of daily physical activity (PA) performed by people with multimorbidity and investigate the association between the number of conditions, multimorbidity profiles, and PA. Methods All adults (≥18 years) from The Lolland-Falster Health Study, conducted from 2016 to 2020, who had PA measured with accelerometers and reported medical conditions were included (n=2,158). Sedentary behavior and daily PA at light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate to vigorous intensity and number of steps were measured with two accelerometers. Associations were investigated using multivariable and quantile regression analyses. Results Adults with multimorbidity spent nearly half their day sedentary, and the majority did not adhere to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) PA recommendations (two conditions: 63%, three conditions: 74%, ≥four conditions: 81%). Number of conditions was inversely associated with both PA for all intensity levels except sedentary time and daily number of steps. Participants with multimorbidity and presence of mental disorders (somatic/mental multimorbidity) had significantly lower levels of PA at all intensity levels, except sedentary time, and number of daily steps, compared to participants with multimorbidity combinations of exclusively somatic conditions. Conclusion Levels of sedentary behavior and non-adherence to PA recommendations in adults with multimorbidity were high. Inverse associations between PA and the number of conditions and mental multimorbidity profiles suggest that physical inactivity increases as multimorbidity becomes more complex.

Abstract We developed the Navigate intervention to improve survival among vulnerable lung cancer patients. In this intervention-only study, we examined feasibility in terms of recruitment, retention, attendance, adherence, and acceptability to specify adjustments to study procedures and intervention components prior to a randomized trial. The Navigate intervention includes nurse navigation, patient-reported outcomes, and physical exercise. Patients ≥ 18 years old, diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer at any stage, with performance status ≤ 2, eligible for cancer treatment and vulnerable according to a screening instrument were included. The recruitment goal of eligible patients was 40% while the retention goal was 85%. The predefined cut-offs for sufficient attendance and adherence were ≥ 75%. Acceptability was evaluated by semi-structured interviews with participants, nurse navigators, and physiotherapists. Seventeen (56%) out of 30 screened patients were considered vulnerable and eligible for the study, 14 (82%) accepted participation, and 3 (21%) were subsequently excluded due to ineligibility, leaving 11 patients. Four patients dropped out (36%) and four patients died (36%) during follow-up and 3 (27%) were retained. All 11 patients participated in nurse sessions (mean 16, range 1–36) with 88% attendance and dialogue tools being applied in 68% of sessions. Ninety-one percent of patients responded to PROs (mean of 9 PROs, range 1–24) with 76% of the PRO questionnaires used (attendance) and 100% adherence (completion of all questions in PRO questionnaires), and 55% participated in exercise sessions with 58% attendance and 85% adherence. We identified important barriers primarily related to transportation, but overall acceptability was high. The Navigate intervention was feasible with high participation, acceptability and satisfactory adherence. Retention and exercise attendance were low, which resulted in adjustments. Trial registration: The feasibility study was initiated prior to the multicenter randomized controlled trial registered by ClinicalTrials.gov (number: NCT05053997; date 23/09/2021).

AbstractIntroduction Exercise is an effective component in rehabilitation of a range of chronic conditions. There is a growing interest in the use of exercise-based nature interacted rehabilitation (EBNIR), but an overview of current evidence is missing. The objective of this scoping review was to map existing exercise-based rehabilitation interventions conducted with incidental or intentional nature interaction focusing on its populations, types of outcomes, and theoretical rationale for people with physical and mental disabilities.Methods This scoping review identified peer-reviewed publications, registered upcoming trials and grey literature. To map all available knowledge, a comprehensive search of selected databases (MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL; Cochrane; Web of Science; Pedro) from inception to October 2022. Data were synthesized in a thematic presentation guided by TIDieR, supplemented by a checklist developed for this study accounting nature incidental or intentional interaction.Results Twelve studies including 856 participants met the inclusion criteria. Eleven were completed trials and one was registered in clinicaltrials.gov to be run in 2023. A total of 856 patients were enrolled in the 12 studies (range 18–262, median 50). The included studies had great variation. The incidental or intentional interacted exercise-based interventions consisted of outdoor walks, neck exercises and surfing interventions in patients with physical or mental health conditions.Conclusions This scoping review presents an overview of limited and diverse evidence within the field of EBNIR, in patients with physical or mental health conditions. Our review provides an overview that will be helpful in the design of future EBNIR trials.

Abstract Background A comprehensive overview of treatments of common fractures is missing, although it would be important for shared decision-making in clinical practice. The aim was to determine benefits and harms of surgical compared to non-surgical treatments for traumatic skeletal fractures. Methods We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and CENTRAL until November 2018, for randomized trials of surgical treatment in comparison with or in addition to non-surgical treatment of fractures in adults. For harms, only trials with patient enrollment in 2000 or later were included, while no time restriction was applied to benefits. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data from full-text trials, and performed risk of bias assessment. Outcomes were self-reported pain, function, and quality of life, and serious adverse events (SAEs). Random effects model (Hedges’ g) was used. Results Out of 28375 records screened, we included 61 trials and performed meta-analysis on 12 fracture types in 11 sites: calcaneus, clavicula, femur, humerus, malleolus, metacarpus, metatarsus, radius, rib, scaphoideum, and thoraco-lumbar spine. Seven other fracture types only had one trial available. For distal radius fractures, the standardized mean difference (SMD) was 0.31 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.53, n = 378 participants) for function, favoring surgery, however, with greater risk of SAEs (RR = 3.10 (1.42 to 6.77), n = 436). For displaced intra-articular calcaneus fractures, SMD was 0.64 (0.13 to 1.16) for function (n = 244) and 0.19 (0.01 to 0.36) for quality of life (n = 506) favoring surgery. Surgery was associated with a smaller risk of SAE than non-surgical treatment for displaced midshaft clavicular fractures (RR = 0.62 (0.42 to 0.92), n = 1394). None of the other comparisons showed statistical significance differences and insufficient data existed for most of the common fracture types. Conclusions Of 12 fracture types with more than one trial, only two demonstrated a difference in favor of surgery (distal radius fractures and displaced intra-articular calcaneus fractures), one of which demonstrated a greater risk of harms in the surgical group (distal radius fractures). Our results highlight the current paucity of high-quality randomized trials for common fracture types and a considerable heterogeneity and risk of bias in several of the available trials. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42015020805

Objective To determine levels of objectively measured physical activity (PA) and the proportion of adults with multimorbidity that adheres to PA guidelines. Methods All studies, where PA was measured at baseline using an activity monitor in an adult (≥18 years) multimorbid (≥80% of the population had ≥2 chronic conditions) population. A systematic literature search was performed in Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, opengrey.eu and google.com from inception up until 18th of January 2022. Risk of bias was assessed with a modified version of the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. A random-effects meta-analyses was performed to estimate daily minutes of sedentary behavior (SB), light PA (LPA), moderate PA (MPA), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and steps. Proportions adhering to PA guidelines was narratively synthesized. Certainty of evidence was determined using The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Results Fifteen studies (2,172 participants) were included. The most frequent combination of conditions were type 2 diabetes and hypertension (six studies). Participants spent a daily average of 500.5 (95% CI: 407.1 to 593.9) minutes in SB, 325.6 (95% CI: 246.4 to 404.7 minutes in LPA and 32.7 (95% CI: 20.2 to 45.3) minutes in MVPA. The mean daily number of steps was 5,145 (95% CI: 4264 to 6026) for people in free-living conditions. The proportion adhering to PA guidelines ranged widely (7.4% to 43%). All studies were rated as at high risk of bias and the certainty of evidence was very low. Conclusions PA levels and adherence varied from low to above guideline recommended levels for adults with chronic conditions, depending on PA intensity. The very low certainty of evidence calls for high quality studies focusing on detailed descriptions of PA behavior in people with multimorbidity. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020172456.

Background Despite the great individual and societal burden associated with multimorbidity, little is known about how to effectively manage it. Objective The aim of this multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to investigate the 12-month effects of a personalized exercise therapy and self-management support program in addition to usual care in people with multimorbidity. Design This is a protocol for a pragmatic, parallel-group (1:1 ratio), superiority RCT conducted at five intervention sites (two hospitals, a private practice physiotherapy clinic and two municipal rehabilitation centers) in Region Zealand, Denmark. A total of 228 persons with multimorbidity aged 18 years or older, will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. Both groups will receive usual care, defined as routine care for multimorbidity at the discretion of the treating doctor, while the intervention group will also participate in a 12-week exercise therapy and self-management support program tailored to people with multimorbidity at one of the intervention sites. The primary outcome will be the between-group difference in change in EQ-5D-5L from baseline to the follow-up at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include objectively-measured physical function and physical activity, inflammatory markers, disease and treatment burden, anxiety, depression, stress, sleep, pain and other self-reported parameters. In parallel with the RCT, an observational cohort will follow persons aged ≥18 years with multimorbidity not adhering to all eligibility criteria, as well as people fulfilling all eligibility criteria, but unwilling to participate in the RCT. This study was approved by the Regional Committee on Health Research Ethics for Region Zealand (SJ-857) and results will be communicated in scientific papers, at relevant conferences and to a broader audience. Discussion Exercise therapy and self-management support is safe and effective in people with single conditions. However, it is still unclear whether this holds true for individuals with multimorbidity. This pragmatic, multicenter RCT will provide high-quality evidence on the benefits and harms of exercise therapy and self-management support and, if the results support it, lead to the development of a plan for implementation in clinical practice.

Objectives Despite documented benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), attrition rates remain relatively high. Insights on patient perspectives concerning dropout during transition phases are deficient. This deeper understanding may help to inform on the perceived benefits and barriers in CR. This qualitative study explores the reasons why patients’ dropout during the transition from a hospital-based CR programme to local healthcare facilities.Setting A Danish hospital and seven local healthcare centres.Participants Twelve patients, who had dropped out of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (exCR) during the transition from hospital-based rehabilitation to local healthcare centres, were recruited to semistructured interviews based on a purposeful sampling.Results Important patient needs during rehabilitation was the ability to identify and reflect oneself in a group of peers in a safe, specialised hospital-based environment. At the transition point, the meaningfulness of continuation of CR was revaluated. Findings showed that reasons for discontinuation varied within individuals. It encompassed on a balanced choice of reassessing benefits against competing agendas as work demands versus expectations of benefits in a changed exercise environment and own exercise capabilities.Conclusion The study indicated that patient needs as timely relevance, a specialised safe environment and peer support are significant for participation in exCR. These needs may change during the transition stage due to competing agendas as work obligations and assessment of own ability to take control themselves. Perceived meaningfulness may be a major motivational driver for both initiating and making a judiciously choice of leaving an exCR programme.

Objectives The main objective was to investigate 5-year outcomes in patients with knee osteoarthritis, randomised to one of two non-surgical treatments.Setting Two outpatient clinics.Participants At baseline, 100 patients with radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis not found eligible for knee replacement (KR) were included. Main exclusion criteria were average score above 75 of the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales pain, symptoms, function of daily living and quality of life; KOOS4 and average knee pain the previous week greater than 60 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale.Interventions Patients were randomised to supervised non-surgical treatment consisting of patient education, supervised exercise, weight loss, insoles, and pain medication (the MEDIC treatment) or written advice. The 12-week MEDIC treatment included patient education, neuromuscular exercise, insoles and a dietary weight loss programme and/or pain medication if needed and written advice consisted of two leaflets.Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcome was 5-year mean change for KOOS4. Secondary outcomes included KOOS subscales, self-reported health, usage of pain medication and self-reported physical activity.Results Thirty-nine (78%) and 36 (72%) from the MEDIC and written advice groups responded at 5 years. There were no between-group differences in KOOS4 (difference 5.3 (95% CI −1.5 to 12.1) or any secondary outcomes. However, the 95% CI included the minimal clinically important difference for the main outcome.Seventy-six percent of the MEDIC group and 66% of the written advice group experienced clinically important improvements in KOOS4.Fifteen patients (30%) from the MEDIC group and 17 (34%) from the written advice group received KR in the index knee. Undergoing KR did not result in a statistically significant greater improvement in KOOS4 (difference 6.1 (95% CI −1.1 to 13.4).Conclusions No statistically significant differences between supervised non-surgical treatment and written advice were demonstrated at 5 years. Most patients experienced clinically important improvements, irrespective of initial treatment strategy or KR.Trial registration number NCT01535001; ClinicalTrials.gov.

Introduction Persistent pain (PP) and long-term conditions are all associated with psychological well-being. Less is known about their associations with reduced psychological well-being when co-occurring. We investigated how PP and long-term physical and mental conditions relate to psychological well-being when occurring together. Method Data collected in the Danish population-based Lolland-Falster Health study were used in this cross-sectional study. Participants aged ≥18 years completing questions concerning PP, long-term conditions and psychological well-being were included. PP and long-term conditions were defined as conditions lasting 6 months or longer. Psychological well-being was assessed by the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Multiple linear regression investigated combinations of PP and physical and mental long-term conditions and their associations with WHO-5. Results Of 11,711 participants, 10,744 had available data. One third had PP ( n = 3250), while 6144 (57%), 213 (2%) and 946 (9%) reported having only physical conditions, only mental conditions or both, respectively. All combinations of PP and long-term conditions were negatively associated with WHO-5. PP in combination with mental (−23.1 (95% CI −28.3 to −17.8)) or both physical and mental conditions (−25.1 (−26.7 to −23.52) yielded the strongest negative associations. Two or more pain sites together with long-term physical and mental conditions was associated with a lower WHO-5 score (−6.2 (−8.9 to −3.5) compared to none or one pain site. Conclusion The presence of PP and long-term conditions, in particular mental conditions, were strongly associated with worse psychological well-being. This highlights the importance of assessing psychological well-being in individuals with PP and long-term conditions.

Background Behavior change and exercise are considered critical for successful self-management in people with multimorbidity, however, little is known about people’s needs, experiences, and preferences. Purpose The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore the perspectives of people living with multimorbidity, healthcare professionals, relatives, and patient advocates in relation to self-management and exercise behavior. Research design Analysis was carried out by means of a hybrid inductive-deductive approach using Framework Analysis that enabled the subsequent use of the COM-B model in relation to the study of exercise behavior specifically. Study sample We conducted 17 interviews (9 focus groups; 8 key informants) with 48 informants from four groups (22 people living with multimorbidity, 17 healthcare professionals, 5 relatives, and 5 patient advocates). Data analysis Through an inductive Framework analysis, we constructed three themes: Patient education, supporting behavior change, and lack of a “burning platform.” Subsequent deductive application of the COM-B profile (applied solely to data related to exercise behavior) unveiled a variety of barriers to exercise and self-management support (pain, fatigue, breathlessness, lack of motivation, financial issues, accessibility, decreased social support). Results Overall, the four groups shared common understandings while also expressing unique challenges. Conclusions Future interventions and/or policies targeting exercise behavior in people living with multimorbidity should address some of the barriers identified in this study.

Objectives To evaluate 1-year cost-effectiveness of an 8-week supervised education and exercise programme delivered in primary care to patients with symptomatic knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA).Design A registry-based pre–post study linking patient-level data from the Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark (GLA:D) registry to national registries in Denmark.Setting and participants 16 255 patients with symptomatic knee or hip OA attending GLA:D.Intervention GLA:D is a structured supervised patient education and exercise programme delivered by certified physiotherapists and implemented in Denmark.Outcome measures Adjusted healthcare costs per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) gained from baseline to 1 year (ratio of change in healthcare costs to change in EuroQoL 5-Dimensions 5-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D)). All adjusted measures were estimated using a generalised estimating equation gamma regression model for repeated measures. Missing data on EQ-5D were imputed with Multiple Imputations (3 months: 23%; 1 year: 39 %).Results Adjusted change in healthcare cost was 298€ (95% CI: 206 to 419) and 640€ (95% CI: 400 to 1009) and change in EQ-5D was 0.035 (95% CI: 0.033 to 0.037) and 0.028 (95% CI: 0.025 to 0.032) for knee and hip patients, respectively. Hence estimated adjusted healthcare costs per QALY gained was 8497€ (95% CI: 6242 to 11 324) for knee and 22 568€ (95% CI: 16 000 to 31 531) for hip patients. In patients with high compliance, the adjusted healthcare costs per QALY gained was 5438€ (95% CI: 2758 to 9231) for knee and 17 330€ (95% CI: 10 041 to 29 364) for hip patients. Healthcare costs per QALY were below conventional thresholds for willingness-to-pay at 22 804€ (20 000£) and 43 979€ (US$50 000), except the upper limit of the 95% CI for hip patients which was in between the two thresholds.Conclusions A structured 8-week supervised education and exercise programme delivered in primary care was cost-effective at 1 year in patients with knee or hip OA supporting large-scale implementation in clinical practice.

Aim: To investigate the association between clusters of conditions and psychological well-being across age groups. Method: This cross-sectional study used data collected in the Danish population-based Lolland-Falster Health Study. We included adults over the age of 18 years. Self-reported chronic conditions were divided into 10 groups of conditions. The primary outcome was psychological well-being (the WHO-5 Well-Being Index). Factor analysis constructed the clusters of conditions, and regression analysis investigated the association between clusters and psychological well-being. Results: Of 10,781 participants, 31.4% were between 18 and 49 years, 35.7% were between 50 and 64 years and 32.9% were above ≥65 years. 35.2% had conditions represented in 1 and 32.9% in at least 2 of 10 condition groups. Across age groups, living with one or more chronic conditions was associated with poorer psychological well-being. Two chronic condition patterns were identified; one comprised cardiovascular, endocrine, kidney, musculoskeletal and cancer conditions, the second mental, lung, neurological, gastrointestinal and sensory conditions. Both patterns were associated with poorer psychological well-being (Pattern 1: −4.5 (95% CI: −5.3 to −3.7), Pattern 2: −9.1 (95% CI −13.8 to −8.2). For pattern 2, participants ≥65 years had poorer psychological well-being compared to younger (−12.6 (95% CI −14.2 to −11.0) vs −6.6 (95% CI: −7.8 to −5.4) for 18–49 years and −8.7 (95% CI: −10.1 to −7.3) for 50–64 years, interaction: p ≤ 0.001) Conclusion: Living with one or more chronic conditions is associated with poorer psychological well-being. Findings point toward a greater focus on supporting psychological well-being in older adults with both mental and somatic conditions.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the benefits and harms of therapeutic exercise in people with multimorbidity defined as the combination of two or more of the following conditions: knee and hip osteoarthritis, hypertension, diabetes type 2, depression, heart failure, ischaemic heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, by performing a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: This study will be performed according to the recommendations from the Cochrane Collaboration and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We will search for RCTs investigating the effect of therapeutic exercise in multimorbidity, as defined above, in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and CINAHL from 1990. Cochrane reviews on the effect of therapeutic exercise for each of the aforementioned conditions and references of the included studies will be checked for eligible studies and citation tracking will be performed in Web of Science. We will assess the risk of bias of the included studies using the Cochrane ‘Risk of Bias Tool’ 2.0 and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation assessment for judging the overall quality of evidence. Meta-analyses will be performed, if possible, using a random-effects model as heterogeneity is expected due to differences in interventions and participant characteristics and outcome measures. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses will be performed to explore potential predictors of outcomes. Dissemination: The results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-review journal, presented at national and international conferences and made available to end users via infographics, podcasts, press releases and videos.