Background: To investigate whether modifiable predictors (depressive symptoms, impairment in behavior and mood, balance impairments, and knee extensor muscle strength) are determinants of the physical activity level in Parkinson's disease.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study with individuals diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Regression analysis of the data was used to investigate whether depressive symptoms, impairments in behavior and mood, balance impairments, or dominant knee extensor muscle strength are predictors of physical activity levels in Parkinson's disease.
Results: A total of 50 individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease participated in this study, with a mean age of 67 ± 8 years and 68% male. Balance impairments explained 29% of the variation in the physical activity levels. The explained variance increased to 34% when depressive symptoms were included in the model.
Conclusion: Among the predictor variables investigated in our study, only balance impairments and depressive symptoms explained the variance in physical activity levels in individuals with Parkinson's disease.
Keywords: Depressive symptoms; Parkinson’s disease; Physical activity; Postural balance; Sedentary behavior.