Phone-Based Walking Support Program Enhances Arthritis Care

TOPLINE:

A randomized controlled trial showed that a 6-week telephone-delivered Walk With Ease (WWE-T) Program improved physical function, arthritis management self-efficacy, and impairment related to daily activities in adults with arthritis, with benefits sustained at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months.

METHODOLOGY:

• In a randomized controlled trial, researchers compared the short-term (6 weeks) and long-term (6 and 12 months) effects of the evidence-based WWE-T Program on pain and physical function in adults with arthritis.
• Overall, 267 adults (mean age, 64.1 years; 92% women; 60% Black; mean body mass index, 34.2) were randomly assigned to initiate the WWE-T Program either immediately (the WWE-T group) or after 1 year (the waitlist control group). Most participants had either osteoarthritis (61%) or rheumatoid arthritis (23%-24%).
• Those in the WWE-T group were given the goal of walking for at least 30 min/d for 3-5 d/wk. They also received two telephone calls each week for 6 weeks for guidance and support.
• Self-reported pain, physical function, physical activity levels, fatigue levels, and arthritis management self-efficacy were evaluated at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months.

TAKEAWAY:

• After 6 weeks, the WWE-T group demonstrated greater improvements in chair stand repetitions (P = .03), fatigue levels (P = .03), arthritis management self-efficacy (P ≤ .0001), and activity impairment due to health (P = .01) than the control group.
• By 6 months, arthritis management self-efficacy remained significantly higher in the WWE-T group than in the control group (P = .01); furthermore, the WWE-T group showed greater improvements in chair stand performance (P = .0035) and activity impairment due to health (P = .02).
• At 12 months, the WWE-T group maintained significantly greater improvements in arthritis management self-efficacy, chair stand repetitions, depression symptoms, and activity impairment due to health (P < .05 for all) than the control group.

IN PRACTICE:

“This remotely delivered program may be an effective alternative to improve arthritis symptoms in adults with arthritis and other underrepresented populations who may face barriers to in-person community-based physical activity programs,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Christine A. Pellegrini, PhD, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. It was published online on March 3, 2025, in Arthritis Care & Research.

LIMITATIONS:

The study sample was predominantly women. Additionally, the study exclusively recruited adults with arthritis from the southeastern United States, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings. The researchers also noted that intervention fidelity was not evaluated beyond call delivery and duration, which limited the understanding of whether the program was implemented as intended.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.