Rates and patterns of physical activity among Hispanics with multiple sclerosis in the NARCOMS Registry

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of non-traumatic neurological disability among adults with an estimated incidence of 2.9 cases per 100,000 Hispanic adults. Hispanics with MS experience disproportionate rates of mobility disability compared to non-Hispanic Whites with MS. The current study aimed to examine the rates and patterns of physical activity (PA) behavior among Hispanics with MS and compare physical activity behavior to non-Hispanic Whites with MS in the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis Registry (NARCOMS). Methods: NARCOMS registry participants who completed the physical activity questions in the Spring 2015 semi-annual survey were included in the analyses. Self-identified Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites were compared. Rates and patterns of physical activity were based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. We performed a 2:1 propensity score matching for comparing non-Hispanic White and Hispanic participants. Results: Of the 6,352 NARCOMS participants in Spring 2015, we included 136 Hispanic and 6,216 non-Hispanic White participants. Among the Hispanic sample, median number of days engaged in vigorous PA was 0 and moderate PA was 1 day. Mean number of minutes sitting per day was 531±266 (approximately 9 hours). Further, a minority of Hispanic participants classified themselves as moderate or heavy active for work (11%), home (24%), and leisure (33%) physical activity. There were no significant differences between participants who identified as Hispanic (n=119) and propensity-matched non-Hispanics White participants (n=238) in demographics, clinical characteristics, or physical activity variables. Conclusion: Rates of physical activity were low among Hispanics with MS. This highlights an opportunity for examining the impact of physical activity interventions for improving mobility disability.