The moderating effect of physical activity on the relationship between pain, depression, and functional status in arthritis

Project Summary

Arthritis can be associated with chronic pain, depression, and functional limitations. The literature suggests that these conditions are two-by-two related, but how the three are related in a single framework remains unclear. The main objective of this project is to examine the potential for depressive symptoms as a pathway to explaining the effect of pain on functional dependence in adults with arthritis. As physical activity has been shown to be beneficial in reducing these conditions associated with arthritis, the second objective of this study is to investigate whether higher levels of physical activity reduce the hypothesized detrimental effects of pain and depression on functional limitations in this population.