International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Carsten Müller

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Guest Editor

Wandelwerk—Quality Assurance and Enhancement, FH Münster - University of Applied Sciences, 48149 Münster, Germany
Interests: physical activity; exercise therapy; strength and conditioning in rehabilitation; prevention and health-promotion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Facing a world with an ever-increasing ageing population, preserving—or restoring—functional capacity has evolved to an increasingly important public health challenge. Regular physical activity and tailored exercises are important requirements for life-long physical health and quality of life. However, worldwide trends indicate that the prevalence of sufficient physical activity and adherence to muscle-strengthening recommendations according to current WHO guidelines remain dissatisfactory and, although safe and effective, decrease among older age groups. Such a development fosters disability and morbidity in the ageing population and globally increases the socioeconomic burden by giving impetus to musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or sarcopenia. Thus, innovative and tailored interventions, including digital and blended care, are required to promote physical activity and exercise among populations at increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on high-quality, multi-disciplinary research related to physical activity, exercise and (musculoskeletal) health, particularly in the older generation. We welcome descriptive and analytical studies, both observational and interventional, as well as scoping reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses on physical activity and exercise in the prevention and rehabilitation of age-related musculoskeletal disorders. All manuscripts will be peer reviewed by experts in the field.

Dr. Carsten Müller
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

exercise
physical activity
musculoskeletal disorders
bone–muscle unit
epidemiology
health promotion
prevention
rehabilitation
blended care

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

14 pages, 837 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of a Group-/Home-Based and a Weight-Machine-Based Exercise Training for Patients with Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis—A Secondary Analysis of Two Trial Interventions in a Real-World Context

by Inka Roesel, Inga Krauss, Peter Martus, Benjamin Steinhilber and Gerhard Mueller

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17088; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417088 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1718

Abstract

This study aimed to compare an individual weight-machine-based strengthening program (MbT) with a group-/homebased training offering strengthening/functional exercises (GHT) in a general health care setting. A total of 657 participants (GHT = 521, MbT = 136) suffering from hip/knee OA were included and analysed with a pre–post design (baseline (T0)/3-months (T1)). Primary outcomes were pain and physical functioning (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, range 0–10). Additionally, adherence and perceived patient benefit were measured (T1). Data were analysed with linear mixed models (time, treatment, baseline pain/physical impairment severity) adjusted for patient characteristics. No significant between-group differences in pain reduction/functional improvements (time*treatment*baseline pain/physical impairment severity, pain/function: n.s.; time*treatment, pain: p = 0.884, function: p = 0.067). Within-group improvements were dependent on baseline severity: Higher severity levels demonstrated larger changes from baseline. Perceived patient-benefit (very high to high, GHT: 78%, MbT: 92%) and exercise adherence (Dropouts T1: GHT: 27.8%, MbT: 16.2%; adherence to supervised sessions: GHT: 89%, MbT: 92%) was slightly better in the MbT. In summary, both MbT and GHT, showed positive results for patients with at least moderate disease symptoms. Findings for physical functioning, perceived patient-benefit, exercise adherence hint towards a superiority of MbT. Individual preferences should be considered when prescribing exercise therapy. Trial registration: (1) German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00009251. Registered 10 September 2015. (2) German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00009257. Registered 11 September 2015. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity and Exercise in the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Age-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders)

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