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Introduction: musculoskeletal pain and functional limitations experienced by patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) impact their physical activity and social behaviour. Yet, we know little about physical activity behaviour in patients with SCD. The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in physical activity, sedentary time and measures of fitness among Ghanaian adults with SCD. The study also determined the association between outcome variables in this population. Methods: patients with SCD attending a sickle cell clinic in a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana participated in this cross-sectional study. Physical activity, sedentary time, body composition, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance were assessed. Demographic data were also collected by self-report. Results: fifty three participants enrolled in the study. Of these, more than half were females (60.4%) and the average age of the participants was (M: 26.8, SD: 8.5 years). The total physical activity reported by the participants was different between males and females (t = 2.610, p = 0.012). However, there were no gender differences in sedentary time, body composition, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. A moderately significant association was found between sedentary time and cardiovascular endurance (r = 0.437, p = 0.001). Conclusion: the findings suggest that gender differences in physical activity are apparent in patients with SCD. Investigations into the mechanisms underpinning these differences are warranted. Additionally, longitudinal observations of objectively measured physical activity may be useful to validate these results in a larger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neck pain is a common complaint worldwide and ranked seventh in 2010 as the cause of 'years lived with disability' in Ghana. Proprioceptive dysfunction, measured by joint position error (JPE) tests, indicates an association with neck pain frequency, dizziness and balance problems in patients. Objectives: To examine proprioceptive deficits of the neck using a laser pointer attached to the head. Methods: Twenty patients within the age group 21–60 years, with at least five points on the neck disability index (NDI), and 20 age- and sex-matched controls with less than five points on the NDI were recruited for this study. The JPE was determined wearing a headlight laser pointer directed towards a Cartesian coordinate system adjusted to x / y = 0/0, placed on a wall after returning from left and right rotation, flexion and extension. From starting in an upright sitting position, facing the Cartesian coordinate system, each participant performed five repetitions for each movement direction. The mean of five repetitions for each movement direction was calculated as absolute error (AE), constant error (CE) and variable error (VE). Results: Control participants showed larger JPE values for nearly all AE, CE and VE. After repositioning from flexion controls showed an approximately 0.6 ° larger median JPE, and the opposite for extension, with median differences between 1 ° and 2 °. Conclusion: The results of this study do not reveal any meaningful differences between patients with mild disabled neck movement compared with controls. Clinical implications: Joint position error testing does not seem useful for patients with mild neck disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]