Quality of Life and Motivations for Physical Activity in Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeag.70(4).35Keywords:
Parkinson’s disease, quality of life, PDQ-39, PALMS, motivationAbstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) impacts multiple life domains, with motor and non-motor symptoms affecting Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). Understanding quality of life and motivation for physical activity is essential for targeted rehabilitation. Objective: To assess quality of life in PD patients using the PDQ-39 and explore motivational factors for physical activity via the PALMS questionnaire, examining relationships with demographic variables, disease stage, and activity patterns. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 40 adults with PD in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, completing PDQ-39 and PALMS questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and Pearson’s correlations. Results: The mean PDQ-39 Summary Index was 38.51±19.82, indicating moderate impairment. Bodily discomfort, mobility, emotional well-being, and activities of daily living were the most affected domains. Significant differences between Hoehn and Yahr stages II and III were found in multiple domains and the PDQ-39 Summary Index. Longer disease duration (≥10 years) was linked to poorer cognition, communication, bodily discomfort, and overall quality of life. PALMS results showed highest motivation in physical condition and mastery, lowest in competition. Strong correlations existed between PDQ-39 Summary Index and all domains (r = .711–.832, p < .01), and moderate correlation with disease duration (r = .414, p < .01). Conclusions: PD patients exhibited moderate quality of life impairments influenced by motor symptoms, emotional well-being, and discomfort. Physical activity motivation centered on fitness and mastery rather than competition. Disease progression significantly affects quality of life, underscoring the need for personalized physiotherapy and long-term rehabilitation.
Article history: Received 2025 November 06.; Revised 2025 December 20; Accepted 2026 January 05;
Available online 2026 January 30; Available print 2026 January 30
References
Bonde-Jensen, F., Dalgas, U., & Langeskov-Christensen, M. (2024). Are physical activity levels, cardiorespiratory fitness and peak power associated with Parkinson’s disease severity? Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 460, 122996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2024.122996
Canning, C. G., Fung, V. S. C., Sherrington, C., Howard, K., Close, J. C. T., Heller, G. Z., Latt, M. D., Heritier, S., Song, J., Murray, S. M., Allen, N. E., Lord, S. R., O’Rourke, S. D., & Paul, S. S. (2014). Exercise for falls prevention in Parkinson disease. Neurology, 84(3), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001155
Chen, K., Yang, K., Wu, J.-J., Shen, B., Song, J., Guan, R.-Y., Liu, F.-T., Yang, Y.-J., Wang, J., Li, D.-K., Bu, L.-L., & Wang, Y. (2017). Evaluation of PDQ-8 and its relationship with PDQ-39 in China: a three-year longitudinal study. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-017-0742-5
Earhart, G. M., & Falvo, M. J. (2013). Parkinson Disease and Exercise. Comprehensive Physiology, 3(2), 833–848. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2040-4603.2013.tb00497.x
Ellingson, L. D., Zaman, A., & Stegemöller, E. L. (2019). Sedentary Behavior and Quality of Life in Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 33(8), 595–601. https://doi.org/10.1177/1545968319856893
Ellis, T. D., Latham, N. K., Cavanaugh, J. T., Saint-Hilaire, M., Deangelis, T., Pencina, K., Thomas, C. A., & Hendron, K. (2019). Comparative Effectiveness of mHealth-Supported Exercise Compared With Exercise Alone for People With Parkinson Disease: Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. Physical Therapy, 99(2), 203–216. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzy131
Fu, Y., Li, J., Liu, C., Zhang, H., Mao, C., Wang, Y., Ma, L., Liu, J., & Huang, J. (2017). Pain Correlates with Sleep Disturbances in Parkinson’s Disease Patients. Pain Practice, 18(1), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/papr.12578
Gómez-Esteban, J. C., Garamendi, I., Tijero, B., Velasco, F., Lezcano, E., Luna, A., Rouco, I., & Zarranz, J. J. (2007). Influence of Motor Symptoms upon the Quality of Life of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease. European Neurology, 57(3), 161–165. https://doi.org/10.1159/000098468
Han, L., Fan, Y., Sun, Y., Zhang, M., Liu, F., Yu, W., Xu, Z., Liang, X., Tang, Y., & Wang, L. (2021). Disease progression in Parkinson‘s disease patients with subjective cognitive complaint. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 8(10), 2096–2104. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51461
Jenkinson, C., Hyman, N., Fitzpatrick, R., Peto, V., & Greenhall, R. (1997). The Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39): development and validation of a Parkinson’s disease summary index score. Age and Ageing, 26(5), 353–357. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/26.5.353
Klepac, N., Juren, S., Pavliček, I., Trkulja, V., Kraljić, T., Relja, M., Babić, T., & Pikija, S. (2007). Association of rural life setting and poorer quality of life in Parkinson’s disease patients: a cross‐sectional study in Croatia. European Journal of Neurology, 14(2), 194–198. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-1331.2006.01604.x
Kuyken, W., Herrman, H., Metelko, Ž., Pibernik-Okanović, M., Quemada, N., Kumar, S., Schofield, H.-L., Caria, A., Orley, J., Kabanov, M., A, N., Szabo, S., Baron, D., Murphy, B., Saxena, S., Power, M., Amir, M., Rajkumar, S., Tazaki, M., … Burkovsky, G. (1995). The World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL): Position paper from the World Health Organization. Social Science & Medicine, 41(10), 1403–1409. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00112-k
Kwok, J. Y. Y., Choi, K. C., & Chan, H. Y. L. (2016). Effects of mind–body exercises on the physiological and psychosocial well-being of individuals with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 29, 121–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2016.09.016
Liu, S., & Chan, P. (2016). Epidemiology of Parkinson’s disease. Chinese Journal of Contemporary Neurology and Neurosurgery, 16(2), 98–101. https://doi.org/10.3969/cjcnn.v16i2.1351
Marumoto, K., Yokoyama, K., Inoue, T., Yamamoto, H., Domen, K., Kawami, Y., Nakatani, A., Yamasaki, A., Hosoe, Y., & Fukazawa, Y. (2019). Inpatient Enhanced Multidisciplinary Care Effects on the Quality of Life for Parkinson Disease: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 32(4), 186–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891988719841721
Molanorouzi, K., Khoo, S., & Morris, T. (2014). Validating the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS). BMC Public Health, 14(8). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-909
Muslimović, D., Post, B., De Haan, R. J., Schmand, B., & Speelman, J. D. (2008). Determinants of disability and quality of life in mild to moderate Parkinson disease. Neurology, 70(23), 2241–2247. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000313835.33830.80
Ophey, A., Eggers, C., Dano, R., Timmermann, L., & Kalbe, E. (2018). Health-Related Quality of Life Subdomains in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: The Role of Gender. Parkinson’s Disease, 2018(S1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6532320
Reuther, M., Spottke, E. A., Klotsche, J., Riedel, O., Peter, H., Berger, K., Athen, O., Köhne-Volland, R., & Dodel, R. C. (2006). Assessing health-related quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease in a prospective longitudinal study. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 13(2), 108–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2006.07.009
Roychowdhury, D. (2018). A comprehensive measure of participation motivation: Examining and validating the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS). Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2018.131.20
Schrag, A. (2000). What contributes to quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease? Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 69(3), 308–312. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.69.3.308
Sławek, J., Derejko, M., & Lass, P. (2005). Factors affecting the quality of life of patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease-a cross-sectional study in an outpatient clinic attendees. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 11(7), 465–468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2005.04.006
Soh, S.-E., Huxham, F., Menz, H. B., Watts, J. J., Iansek, R., Morris, M. E., Mcginley, J. L., & Murphy, A. T. (2012). Determinants of health-related quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease: a path analysis. Quality of Life Research, 22(7), 1543–1553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0289-1
Souza, R. G., Silva, S. M. C. D. A., Ferraz, H. B., & Borges, V. (2007). Quality of life scale in parkinson’s disease PDQ-39 - (Brazilian Portuguese version) to assess patients with and without levodopa motor fluctuation. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 65(3b), 787–791. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0004-282x2007000500010
Van Der Kolk, N. M., & King, L. A. (2013). Effects of exercise on mobility in people with Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders, 28(11), 1587–1596. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.25658
Willis, A. W., Roberts, E., Beck, J. C., Fiske, B., Ross, W., Savica, R., Van Den Eeden, S. K., Tanner, C. M., Marras, C., Alcalay, R., Schwarzschild, M., Racette, B., Chen, H., Church, T., Wilson, B., & Doria, J. M. (2022). Incidence of Parkinson disease in North America. NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-022-00410-y.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Educatio Artis Gymnasticae
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
