Results of a feasibility study of a patient informed, racially tailored home-based exercise program for black persons with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Exercise training is a promising approach for managing multiple sclerosis (MS), but existing research has not focused on black individuals with MS. This is important as black individuals with MS may experience a more aggressive disease course, increased comorbidities, and have a poorer prognosis with disease modifying therapies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two black adults with mild-to-moderate MS related disability participated in a patient-informed, three-month, home-based, racially tailored, exercise program. The exercise program, Project GEMS, was modified for black persons with MS through patient feedback. The feasibility of the modified exercise program was measured through the four domains of process (e.g., recruitment and retention), resources (e.g., communication and monetary costs), management (e.g., of data management and safety reporting), and scientific outcomes (e.g., safety, burden, adherence, experience, and treatment effect).

RESULTS: This exercise program was feasible, safe, and well received based on data analysis and formative evaluation. Twenty-four participants completed post-assessment (75%; two dropped out, six did not return follow-up assessments). The exercise program cost a total of $3726.57 (personnel costs = $2128.74 USD, $20.87 USD per/h; exercise program costs = $1597.83 USD, mean cost per person = $46.93). Participants were adherent with 70% of the 48 exercise sessions via self-reported exercise logs. There was a significant and large increase (t = -5.1, p < .001, d = -1.0) in exercise behavior as measured by the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire.

CONCLUSION: The results support the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and efficacy of this intervention for increasing exercise behavior among black adults with mild-to-moderate MS.