Increasing engagement in physical activity : the role of motivational interviewing in physiotherapy : a comparative review of how motivational interviewing can be used to increase physical activity in musculoskeletal patients

Abstract

Objective: Currently, many patients do not adhere to the physiotherapist’s recommendations and exercise programme. Increasing adherence and engagement to physical activity has been proven to be difficult, especially when lifestyle changes are needed. Despite the importance of changing patients’ behaviours, little importance is given to it during physiotherapy sessions. The aim of this dissertation is to review the effectiveness of using motivational interviewing (MI) to increase physical activity. Method: The search strategy was constructed and the research question was: “How can motivational interviewing be used to increase physical activity engagement in patients with musculoskeletal conditions”. Keywords were obtained using the PICO method, the population (P) was patients with musculoskeletal conditions, the intervention (I) was motivational interviewing, the comparison (C) was traditional methods and the outcome (O) was an increase in physical activity engagement. These keywords were applied to numerous databases with the eligibility criteria applied to them. Results: A total of 5 full-text articles were retrieved, 2 randomised controlled trials and 3 systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Articles published between 2012 and 2022, in English and in accordance to the PICO framework were included. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was used to screen the key articles and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool was used for their evaluation. Conclusion: MI has promising results to increase adherence and engagement to physical activity. Recommendations: More local research is needed on this particular topic. MI is a beneficial tool for physiotherapy that should be incorporated into practice.