Physical Activity, Stress, Disease Activity, and Quality of Life in Adults With Crohn Disease
Abstract
Physical activity and stress reduction are recognized strategies for chronic disease management. They are recommended for people with a variety of diseases; however, little attention has been paid to the effects of regular physical activity and stress reduction in people with Crohn disease (CD). The aim of this pilot study was to examine the relationship that both physical activity and stress levels have with disease activity (a subscale of a quality of life [QOL] measure). A 2-pronged approach to sampling, using an online Crohn support forum and snowball sampling, was implemented over a period of 3 months to conduct this survey. Seventeen adults with CD completed 3 questionnaires measuring physical activity, stress levels, disease activity, and QOL. Although no significant correlations were found for disease activity with stress or physical activity, significant relationships were revealed for QOL with both stress and physical activity. The direct relationship between physical activity and QOL and the inverse relationship between stress and QOL are noteworthy for persons with CD, as well as their healthcare providers. Suggestions for important research design considerations are presented, along with future research needs.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Stress has been associated with lower quality of life for people with IBD.
“and lower quality of life 13 for people with IBD.”
From Systematic review: the role of psychological stress in inflammatory bowel disease (2022) · cites this paper as [13]
Cites
A Global Measure of Perceived Stress
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136404 · Cited by 32,807 · see citing works
King, A., Taylor, C. B., Haskell, W., & Debusk, R. (1989) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037//0278-6133.8.3.305 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Mardini, H. E., Kip, K. E., & Wilson, J. W. (2004) · Digestive Diseases and Sciences · doi:10.1023/b:ddas.0000020509.23162.cc · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Low-Intensity Exercise Improves Quality of Life in Patients With Crohn's Disease
Ng, V., Millard, W. M., Lebrun, C. M., & Howard, J. M. (2007) · Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine · doi:10.1097/jsm.0b013e31802b4fda · Cited by 187 · see citing works
Influence of inflammatory bowel disease on different dimensions of quality of life
Casellas, F., López-Vivancos, J., Badia, X. C., Vilaseca, J., & Malagelada, J. (2001) · European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology · doi:10.1097/00042737-200105000-00017 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
King, A. C., Taylor, C. B., Haskell, W. L., et al. (1989) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/0278-6133.8.3.305 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
The Effects of Physical Exercise on Patients With Crohn's Disease
Loudon, C. P., Corroll, V. A., Butcher, J. E., Rawsthorne, P. E., & Bernstein, C. N. (1999) · The American Journal of Gastroenterology · doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.1999.00939.x · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Staying fit and staying well: Physical fitness as a moderator of life stress.
Brown, J. D. (1991) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.60.4.555 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Mussell, M., cker, U. B., Nagel, N., & Singer, M. V. (2004) · European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology · doi:10.1097/00042737-200412000-00007 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Staying fit and staying well: Physical fitness as a moderator of life stress.
Brown, J. D. (1991) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.60.4.555 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
The relation between daily stress and Crohn's disease
Garrett, V. D., Brantley, P. J., Jones, G. N., & McKnight, G. T. (1991) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/bf00844770 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Risk Indicators for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Persson, P.-G., Leijonmarck, C.-E., Bernell, O., Hellers, G., & Ahlbom, A. (1993) · International Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/ije/22.2.268 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Exercise and psychoneuroimmunology
LaPerriere, A. R., Ironson, G. H., Antoni, M. H., Schneiderman, N., Klimas, N. G., & FLETCHER, M. A. (1994) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/00005768-199402000-00008 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Buxton, M. J., Lacey, L. A., Feagan, B. G., Niecko, T., Miller, D. W., & Townsend, R. J. (2007) · Value in Health · doi:10.1111/j.1524-4733.2007.00171.x · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Preillness non dietary factors and habits in inflammatory bowel disease.
Klein, I., Reif, S. S., Farbstein, H., Halak, A., & Gilat, T. (1998) · PubMed · Cited by 63 · see citing works
The Effect of Chronic and Acute Exercise on Immunity in Rats
Lin, Y., Jan, M., & Chen, H. (1993) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/s-2007-1021151 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Gastrointestinal Symptoms During Exercise
Peters, H. P. F., Akkermans, L. M. A., Bol, E., & MOSTERD, W. L. (1995) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.2165/00007256-199520020-00002 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Everyday stress and crohn’s disease activity: A time series analysis of 20 single cases
Traue, H. C., & Kosarz, P. (1999) · International Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm0602_1 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Exercise and inflammatory bowel disease: immunological aspects.
Renata D'Incà, Varnier, M., D’Odorico, A., & Sturniolo, G. (2000) · PubMed · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Impact of Drug Therapy and Surgery on Quality of Life in Crohnʼs Disease
Wright, E. K., & Kamm, M. A. (2014) · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · doi:10.1097/mib.0000000000000271 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Systematic review: the role of psychological stress in inflammatory bowel disease
Black, J., Sweeney, L., Yuan, Y., Singh, H., Norton, C., & Czuber‐Dochan, W. (2022) · Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1111/apt.17202 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
DUFF, W. R. D., Haskey, N., Potter, G., Alcorn, J., Hunter, P. V., & Fowler, S. A. (2018) · World Journal of Gastroenterology · doi:10.3748/wjg.v24.i28.3055 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
An integrative review of physical activity in adults with inflammatory bowel disease
Davis, S. P., Crane, P. B., Bolin, L. P., & Johnson, L. A. (2021) · Intestinal Research · doi:10.5217/ir.2020.00049 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
The Case for Increased Physical Activity in Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Brief Review
Shephard, R. J. (2016) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/s-0042-103157 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Canadians Living With Crohn Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Mack, D. E., Wilson, P. M., Gilmore, J. C., & Gunnell, K. E. (2011) · Gastroenterology Nursing · doi:10.1097/sga.0b013e3182248732 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
The Interaction between Stress and Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Pediatric and Adult Patients
Belei, O., Basaca, D.-G., Olariu, L., Pantea, M., Bozgan, D., Nanu, A.-M., Sîrbu, I., Mărginean, O., & Enătescu, I. (2024) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm13051361 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Perceived Impairment in Sports Participation in Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Plevinsky, J. M., Wojtowicz, A. A., Poulopoulos, N., Schneider, K. L., & Greenley, R. N. (2017) · Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition · doi:10.1097/mpg.0000000000001633 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Physical Activity in Adults With Crohn’s Disease: A Scoping Review
Neal, W. N., Jones, C. D., Pekmezi, D., & Motl, R. W. (2022) · Crohn s & Colitis 360 · doi:10.1093/crocol/otac022 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Bastida, G., Marín‐Jiménez, I., Forés, A., García‐Planella, E., Argüelles‐Arias, F., Tagarro, I., Fernández-Nistal, A., Montoto, C., APARICIO, J. C. R., Aguas, M., et al. (2021) · Digestive and Liver Disease · doi:10.1016/j.dld.2021.06.005 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Marín‐Jiménez, I., Bastida, G., Forés, A., García-Planella, E., Argüelles‐Arias, F., Sarasa, P., Tagarro, I., Fernández-Nistal, A., Montoto, C., Aguas, M., et al. (2020) · BMJ Open Gastroenterology · doi:10.1136/bmjgast-2019-000351 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Neal, W. N., Pekmezi, D., & Motl, R. W. (2024) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph21040462 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Infl uences on quality of life in peritoneal dialysis patients
Wakeel, J. A., Bayoumi, M., Harbi, A. A., Askar, A., & Mishriky, A. M. (2009) · Cited by 4 · see citing works
A Model of the Quality of Life in Patients with Crohn’s Disease
Lee, S. A. (2020) · Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing · doi:10.7739/jkafn.2020.27.4.333 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Herrero-Rodríguez, S., Martín-Cordero, L., Mayordomo, R., Gálvez, I., & Ortega, E. (2025) · Gastroenterología y Hepatología · doi:10.1016/j.gastrohep.2025.502494 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Duarte, M. J. D. D., de Roda, A. B. L., Astray, A. A., & Diaferia, L. B. (2012) · Hispana · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Williams, J. (2009) · Gastrointestinal Nursing · doi:10.12968/gasn.2009.7.7.44263
Wilson, J. J., Lynch, B., Graham, N., McClean, C. M., & Tully, M. A. (2025) · Crohn s & Colitis 360 · doi:10.1093/crocol/otaf042
Herrero-Rodríguez, S., Martín-Cordero, L., Mayordomo, R., Gálvez, I., & Ortega, E. (2026) · Gastroenterología y Hepatología (English Edition) · doi:10.1016/j.gastre.2025.502494
- Authors
- Crumbock, S. C., Loeb, S. J., & Fick, D. M.
- Affiliations
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Loeb, Susan J.
- Venue
- Gastroenterology Nursing
- Published
- 2009-05
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 188-195
- ISSN
- 1042-895X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2018095750
- Cited by
- 19
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Gastroenterology Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Pennsylvania State University
- Sigma Theta Tau International
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Keywords
- Crohn's disease, physical activity, stress, disease activity, quality of life, stress reduction, chronic disease management, inflammatory bowel disease
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Crohn Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Activity, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Severity of Illness Index, Stress, Physiological, Stress, Psychological, Sickness Impact Profile, Disease Progression, Risk Assessment, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
