Arthritis is a very common disorder in the world, and particularly within the Irish population. Most individuals who are diagnosed with arthritis are still working and it may cause as many as 50% to go into early retirement. Exercise has been shown to be of particular benefit among this population, but despite this, there are many reasons why people with arthritis still do not exercise. One study carried out last year in St. James’ Hospital aimed to determine what these barriers were. However, the scale being used (Exercise Benefits/ Barriers Scale) was in many statements patients were to agree or disagree with were not relevent or contained vocabulary that was outdated, e.g ‘Exercise improves my self concept’. Our aim in this study is to alter the scale so that it is as relevant as possible and so as to find out what the main reasons patients do not exercise are. We also plan to translate the scale into Irish, as per government guidelines.
