Association of health behaviors with function and health-related quality of life among patients with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Background: Current evidence on chronic conditions favors promotion of health behaviors as a mean to positively impact health outcomes. In Parkinson’s disease, performing health behaviors is indicated as a means to fight the long-lasting burden of the disease. Understanding actual engagement in health behaviors and patient activation and their association to function and health-related quality of life is therefore important. Our objectives were, among people with Parkinson’s disease: (1) to characterize health behaviors including utilization of rehabilitative treatments, physical activity, and patient activation levels, and (2) to test the associations between these health behaviors and health outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 88 people with Parkinson’s disease (age 66.84 ± 8.8) was conducted. Participants answered questionnaires measuring health behaviors including utilization of health professions treatments, physical activity, patient activation, and health outcomes consisting of function and health-related quality of life. Linear regression models were conducted to test associations between measured health behaviors, function and health-related quality of life. Results: Participants rarely engage in rehabilitative treatments, but showed high levels of patient activation. Controlled by demographics and disease severity, physical activity and patient activation were associated with function (b = 0.41, p