Adherence to home-based exercises and/or activity advice in low back pain patients: a systematic review
Ben van Koppen, Pim Zandwijk, J. de Vries, Henk van Mameren, Rob de Bie
Abstract
Background Poor adherence to treatment is a worldwide problem and is also recognised in managing low back pain (LBP).Objective This review aims to evaluate the rate of adhering to physical activity advice.Data sources A systematic review was conducted by searching 12 databases from January 2000 to December 2019.Study selection Studies were eligible when assessing LBP patients’ adherence to activity advice.Data extraction Key data extracted related to adherence to home-based exercise and/or physical activity advice given to patients over 18 who suffer from non-specific LBP.Data synthesis After screening, 28 studies (out of 1171) were eligible for analysis. Given the studies’ outcomes, a qualitative summary was created.Results Adherence rates varied from 8% to 91%. Bias was likely in three out of 18 randomised trials. Outcomes of the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies ranged from 5 to 11 positive scores out of 14.Limitations Variability in describing activity advice, the use of different types of outcomes and the use of subjective measurement tools compromised the outcomes of this review.Conclusions The proportion of fully adhering patients is unclear. Therefore, more objective and uniform assessment tools are needed to assess adherence in future studies.