Exploring the perceptions of participants of a novel telerehabilitation program designed to decrease sedentary behavior in adults with multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study.

• Author / Creator

  Rowley, Jacqueline

• Purpose: To identify and describe the perceptions of sedentary adults with MS participating in a telerehabilitation sedentary behaviour change program.
  Methods: This qualitative study took place within a larger study; a 15-week feasibility study of the Sit Less with MS program, a telerehabilitation activity behaviour change program designed specifically for people with MS. The study design was interpretive description, a qualitative methodological framework. Ten individuals, nine females and one male, participated in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. The participants varied in age, level of experience with technology, and mobility disability. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Themes describing the participants’ perceptions were identified using thematic analysis.
  
  Results: Three primary themes described the participants’ perception of the telerehabilitation program: that they can be active in everyday life, that the program provided key elements to experiencing success and described the program as a wellness journey. Our study highlights that adults with MS had an overall positive experience in the telerehabilitation program as it was convenient and provided the opportunity for participants to foster a relationship with the professional delivering the program. Participants described key aspects of the program, such as developing awareness, accountability and self-monitoring skills, and learning to set goals, which in turn promoted long term behaviour change.
  Conclusions: This is the first qualitative study exploring the perceptions of adults with MS in a sedentary behaviour change program delivered over a telerehabilitation medium. This study provides new insights into the experience of adults with MS participating in a telerehabilitation sedentary behaviour change program, including that participants experienced success sitting less and moving more in their daily lives, and that participants were able to differentiate between the benefits and messaging of “sit less and move more” compared to increasing levels of physical activity and aerobic exercise. This study also highlights important implications for clinicians working with adults with MS and other neurological conditions in a rehabilitation setting, such as being open to using telerehabilitation as a tool to provide therapy services and discussing the benefits of decreasing sedentary behavior with clients.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • interpretive description
  • multiple sclerosis
  • telerehabilitation
  • sedentary behaviour.
  • Perspectives

• Graduation date

  Fall 2019

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-vjzw-v496

• License

  Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.