Effectiveness of behaviour change techniques in physiotherapy interventions to promote physical activity adherence in patients with osteoarthritis: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative articular disease, the highest cause of individual level disability and a significant socio-economic burden to healthcare services in the United Kingdom. Patient education and physical activity prescription are recommended components of interventions in several healthcare guidelines. However, these interventions lack long term clinical effectiveness. Patient adherence to physical activity prescription requires patients to modify their physical activity behaviour and appears critical in maintaining symptomatic improvements. Physiotherapists are the largest healthcare provider of exercise prescription in the National Health Service and well placed to provide physical activity interventions incorporating behaviour change techniques (BCTs). The objective of this study was to identify BCTs used in physiotherapy interventions to improve physical activity adherence in lower limb osteoarthritis patients and evaluate their effectiveness.