Associations of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Handgrip Strength with Clinical Characteristics in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis from Western Mexico.
- 1Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Guadalajara 44340, Jalisco, Mexico.
- 2Servicio de Reumatología, O.P.D. Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Fray Antonio Alcalde", Guadalajara 44280, Jalisco, Mexico.
- 3Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07360, Estado de Mexico, Mexico.
Abstract
Background
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects synovial joints and leads to functional impairment. Modifiable factors such as physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and handgrip strength (HGS) may influence clinical and functional outcomes; however, these relationships have been insufficiently studied in Mexican women with RA. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations of PA, SB, and HGS, with clinical characteristics in women with RA from western Mexico.Methods
PA and SB were assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-S). Disability was evaluated using the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), HGS was measured by dynamometry, and disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP). Inflammatory and serological markers (CRP, RF, anti-CCP, and ESR) were determined using standard analytical methods.Results
The study included 58 women with RA, with a mean DAS28-CRP score of 3.25 ± 1.16. PA was inversely associated with CRP levels (β = -0.312, p = 0.023), with higher CRP concentrations observed among patients with low PA levels. SB was positively associated with HAQ-DI scores (β = 0.345, p = 0.008) and DAS28-CRP scores (β = 0.420, p = 0.001). HGS was inversely associated with DAS28-CRP (β = -0.323, p = 0.04) and HAQ-DI (β = -0.521, p = 0.0004), independent of age and body mass index.Conclusions
In conclusion, lower PA levels were associated with higher CRP concentrations, whereas lower HGS and greater SB were associated with greater disease activity and disability in women with RA.
Related
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- Sex-specific associations of physical activity and sedentary time with obesity: a longitudinal study in China
BibTeX
@article{salazargutierrez2026associations,
title = {{Associations of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Handgrip Strength with Clinical Characteristics in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis from Western Mexico.}},
author = {Daniel Alejandro Salazar-Gutiérrez and José Francisco Muñoz-Valle and Francisco González-Rodríguez and Sergio Cerpa-Cruz and Ana Clarissa Macías-Martínez and Ilce Valeria Román-Fernández and Jorge Hernández-Bello and Eric Genaro Salmerón-Bárcenas and Samuel García-Arellano and Christian Johana Baños-Hernández},
journal = {Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/epidemiologia7050139},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42930327},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Associations of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Handgrip Strength with Clinical Characteristics in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis from Western Mexico.
AU - Daniel Alejandro Salazar-Gutiérrez
AU - José Francisco Muñoz-Valle
AU - Francisco González-Rodríguez
AU - Sergio Cerpa-Cruz
AU - Ana Clarissa Macías-Martínez
AU - Ilce Valeria Román-Fernández
AU - Jorge Hernández-Bello
AU - Eric Genaro Salmerón-Bárcenas
AU - Samuel García-Arellano
AU - Christian Johana Baños-Hernández
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/epidemiologia7050139
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42930327
AB - Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects synovial joints and leads to functional impairment. Modifiable factors such as physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and handgrip strength (HGS) may influence clinical and functional outcomes; however, these relationships have been insufficiently studied in Mexican women with RA. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations of PA, SB, and HGS, with clinical characteristics in women with RA from western Mexico.Methods PA and SB were assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-S). Disability was evaluated using the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), HGS was measured by dynamometry, and disease activity was assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP). Inflammatory and serological markers (CRP, RF, anti-CCP, and ESR) were determined using standard analytical methods.Results The study included 58 women with RA, with a mean DAS28-CRP score of 3.25 ± 1.16. PA was inversely associated with CRP levels (β = -0.312, p = 0.023), with higher CRP concentrations observed among patients with low PA levels. SB was positively associated with HAQ-DI scores (β = 0.345, p = 0.008) and DAS28-CRP scores (β = 0.420, p = 0.001). HGS was inversely associated with DAS28-CRP (β = -0.323, p = 0.04) and HAQ-DI (β = -0.521, p = 0.0004), independent of age and body mass index.Conclusions In conclusion, lower PA levels were associated with higher CRP concentrations, whereas lower HGS and greater SB were associated with greater disease activity and disability in women with RA.
SN - 2673-3986
ER -