DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4b8gthts6
title: Running with rheumatoid arthritis: A qualitative study of Australian rheumatologists’ perceptions and recommendations

description: Objective: To explore how Australian rheumatologists perceive and
 recommend running for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, including
 their clinical experiences, observations and personal views. Design:
 Qualitative exploratory study using semi-structured interviews. Interviews
 were conducted via Microsoft Teams, transcribed verbatim and analysed
 thematically using NVivo software. Setting: Australia; interviews were
 conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams with participants joining from
 either clinical or home environments. Participants: Thirteen practicing
 Australian rheumatologists recruited through purposive and snowball
 sampling. Results: Five themes were identified from thematic analysis: (1)
 Perceived benefits of running, (2) Risks and clinical cautions, (3)
 Criteria required for discussing running, (4) Barriers to running and (4)
 Facilitators to running. Participants acknowledged various benefits of
 running for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, such as improved mental
 health, lifestyle changes, and support for joint health. Concerns included
 risks of running during active disease phases and overly rapid progression
 of training loads.. Key criteria for recommending running included good
 disease control, the patient’s running history and personal goals.
 Barriers included patient concerns around joint harm, lack of guidelines,
 and socioeconomic challenges. Facilitators included stable disease,
 symptom guided pacing, gradual load increases, allied health referral and
 appropriate footwear. Conclusion: Rheumatologists acknowledged both the
 potential benefits and risks of running for people with rheumatoid
 arthritis. Individualised recommendations based on disease status and
 patient preferences could enhance the integration of running into care
 plans. Further research is needed to develop specific guidelines and
 understand patient outcomes.
description: # Running with rheumatoid arthritis: A qualitative study of Australian
 rheumatologists’ perceptions and recommendations Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.4b8gthts6](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4b8gthts6) ##
 Description of the data and file structure This dataset was collected as
 part of an exploratory qualitative study investigating Australian
 rheumatologists’ perceptions of running in the context of rheumatoid
 arthritis management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13
 rheumatologists between March and May 2024. Interviews were transcribed
 verbatim and analysed inductively using Braun and Clarke’s thematic
 analysis framework. The dataset includes the interview guide and a coded
 thematic summary of themes and participant perspectives (paraphrased, with
 participant IDs), which underpinned the analysis presented in the
 manuscript. ### Files and variables #### File: Interview_Questions.pdf
 **Description:** This file contains the semi-structured interview guide
 used to collect qualitative data from Australian rheumatologists. The
 guide includes introductory prompts and open ended questions exploring
 perceptions of running in the context of rheumatoid arthritis. #### File:
 Thematic_Summary_Table-_Running_with_Rheumatoid_Arthritis-_A_Qualitative_Study_of_Australian_Rheumatologists’_Perceptions_and_Recommendations.pdf **Description:** This file contains a coded thematic summary table derived from inductive thematic analysis of 13 rheumatologist interviews. It includes major themes, subthemes, paraphrased participant perspectives, and participant IDs (P1–P13). No verbatim quotes are included to protect confidentiality. ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * The dataset is only available through the Dryad Digital Repository. Data was derived from the following sources: * No external data sources were used. All data were derived from original semi-structured interviews conducted with Australian rheumatologists for this study. ## Human subjects data All data included in this submission are qualitative interview transcripts from rheumatologists. Participants provided informed consent for their interviews to be used for research and publication. All transcripts have been fully deidentified prior to deposition: names, workplaces, and any potentially identifiable details have been removed or replaced with generic descriptors (e.g., “P1,” “2”). No personal identifiers remain in the dataset. The dataset therefore complies with Dryad’s human subjects data standards for publication.