Supporting stepwise change : Improving health behaviors in rheumatoid arthritis with physical activity as the example

Management of chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis includes behavior change towards smoking cessation, healthy eating and sufficient physical activity. To initiate and maintain behavior change over time, individual, behavioral and contextual factors should be included. This paper presents some issues on the implementation of physical activity behavior in rheumatoid arthritis, describing motivational and self-regulatory aspects and how they relate to long-term maintenance. We also point out implications for healthcare and directions for future research