Barriers to Physical Activity in Familial Mediterranean Fever

Barriers to Physical Activity and Exercise in Patients With Familial Mediterranean Fever

This project is a 2209-A TÜBİTAK project. It has been developed to identify the barriers to physical activity among patients diagnosed with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF).

The project aims to determine the problems encountered by FMF patients when engaging in physical activity and the reasons behind these issues, using various assessment methods to identify the reasons for avoiding physical activity.

This project is a 2209-A TÜBİTAK project. It has been developed to identify the barriers to physical activity among patients diagnosed with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) referred to the Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Division, at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, as well as the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.

The project aims to determine the problems encountered by FMF patients when engaging in physical activity and the reasons behind these issues, using various assessment methods to identify the reasons for avoiding physical activity. Patients diagnosed with FMF will be evaluated based on pain (McGill Melzack Pain Questionnaire), quality of life (FMF Quality of Life Measure), fatigue status (Fatigue Severity Scale), kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia), grip strength (Digital Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer), and aerobic capacity (Spirometer).

Assessments will be conducted twice a week for three months, with each session lasting 30 minutes, utilizing the Digital Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer and Spirometer under the supervision of researchers.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF)
• Ability to respond to the questionnaires
• Capability to engage in physical activity

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any form of disability (visual, auditory, mental, physical)
• Illiteracy in Turkish
• Presence of comorbidities that may hinder assessment