Objective: To develop the Engage-Qatar PD self-management intervention with cultural-adaptations for people with PD in Qatar.

Background: Many people with PD engage in insufficient exercise to realize these potential benefits due to a number of common barriers. To best sustain exercise and physical activity in PD, it is imperative that individuals are empowered with adequate knowledge and self-management skills.

Method: Co-design approach was conducted to guide the development of Engage-Qatar PD in two steps. Firstly, 4 focus groups with PD patients and their care-givers and 6 focus groups with therapists  who treats PD patients in Qatar were conducted. Discussion during these focus groups were around core features that will be important to consider when developing the intervention. Discussions from all focus groups will be audio recorded and transcribed into text. A topic guide was used, thereby facilitating a systematic method of data collection.

Secondly, a co-design group workshop of three days was conducted. The aim of this workshop was to fully develop the Engage-Qatar PD program including the online forum.

Results: Although participants believed that exercises are beneficial, they indicated that lack of knowledge about specific exercise programs designed for people with PD can act as a barrier to exercise in this population in Arabic countries. All of them agreed that developing an online exercise forum such as an app and an exercise booklet, which contains exercises specifically tailored to their condition, will be very useful. They highlighted that availability of such an app could be a very useful resource to encourage them to exercise outside of therapy sessions, or upon completion of a therapy program. Themes generated were very useful in designing the online platform for Engage- Qatar PD, in term of determining, content, and specific characteristics that are required for cultural adaptations.

Conclusion: The study also highlighted the potential barriers for people with PD from Arabic countries in engaging in exercise. The co-design approach applied here, provided important insight into cultural aspects needs to be taken into consideration in developing Engage-Qatar PD. Future work will conducted to examine the feasibility, acceptability and potential benefits of using the developed intervention in improving levels of physical activity in people with PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/engage-qatar-pd-the-development-of-an-online-self-management-intervention-to-promote-engagement-in-physical-activity-for-people-with-pd-in-qatar/