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Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Senior Clinical Lecturer in Haematology, Honorary Consultant in Haematology Dan Hart, Queen Mary University of London, UK
- Second opponent: Senior Lecturer Sports & Exercise Biomechanics Ryan Mahaffey, St. Mary´s University, UK
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor II Anne Flem Jacobsen, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor Emeritus Stein Arne Evensen, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor II Pål André Holme, University of Oslo
Summary
Haemophilia A is a rare bleeding disorder where physical activity may pose an increased risk of bleeding, which may lead to joint damage (arthropathy) and functional impairment.
With current efficacious prophylactic medical treatment, people with haemophilia’s possibilities to be physically active may be similar to that of people in the general population.
The aims of the thesis were to; describe physical activity (PA) levels in young people with haemophilia A (on prophylaxis) in Norway compared to controls, examine factors associated with PA in these patients, and to investigate the accuracy of the activity tracker Fitbit in measuring PA in this group. Methods included objective measurements of PA, joint status, and other relevant factors.
The Fitbit-measured PA levels of 40 men with haemophilia A aged 13-30 years were similar to that of a large group of peers. People with haemophilia spent some more time in light intensity PA and exercised more frequently than controls. Investigation of factors associated with PA showed that those without signs of arthropathy engaged in some more moderate and vigorous intensity PA than those with signs of arthropathy, and that teenagers who met PA recommendations appeared to have slightly better joint status compared to those who did not.
Comparisons of PA estimates between an ActiGraph accelerometer and a Fitbit activity tracker showed moderate to high correlations between device measurements, but the Fitbit overestimated number of steps and minutes of light and vigorous intensity PA.
These findings demonstrate that PA levels of Norwegian young people with haemophilia A are similar to general population peers, and indicate that presence of haemophilic arthropathy is associated with reduced intensity of PA. Furthermore, the results suggest overestimation of PA estimates by the Fitbit.
Additional information
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