Objective: To better understand the demographic profile of PD patients who attend RSB, to define motivators and barriers to participation, and to assess the perceived impact of RSB.

Background: RSB is a non-contact boxing program (est. 2006) for individuals with PD. The 90-minute group classes led by specially-trained coaches focus on agility, balance, and speed training. There are 38,750 participants at 775 RSB sites worldwide. Anecdotally, many RSB participants report enjoying the social elements of the intervention as well as the perceived symptomatic benefits.

Method: A 20 minute, 61-question anonymous survey was administered via SurveyMonkey®. It was distributed to people with PD through e-mail and social media promotion by RSB Inc. and the Parkinson Foundation from 7/2018 to 2/2019. Eligible participants were adults with PD who had to have at least heard of RSB.

Results: A total of 2,007 individuals completed the survey, of which 86%(N=1,726) had participated in RSB and 77%(N=1,542) were currently boxing. Respondents ranged in age from 35-87 years old, and 59.3% were male.  The majority were White (96%), married (85%), and retired (74%). 70% had completed secondary education, and 60% reported an income of $60-200,000 annually. Duration of PD diagnosis varied: 35% <3yrs, 26% 3-5yrs, and 23% 5-10yrs. The majority (65%) received care from a Movement Disorder specialist, with 33% at an academic center and 34% at an urban private practice. The most common reason reported for participating in RSB was the “PD-specific” nature (85%) and group structure (58%). Among the 14% who never participated, difficult access to RSB sites was the most common reason (34%), although the majority did not feel cost or distance was a major barrier. Participants attributed improvement in several PD-related symptoms to RSB, with the majority reporting improvement in: social life (65%), fatigue (59%), fear of falling (55%), depression (54%), and anxiety (53%). 99% of current and 94% of previous participants would recommend RSB to others with PD.

Conclusion: To date, this is the largest analysis of RSB use in PD. The population is described, and future reports will describe the impact of RSB on quality of life and self-efficacy measures.

References: “Fighting back against Parkinson’s,” https://www.rocksteadyboxing.org/

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/a-large-scale-survey-of-rock-steady-boxing-rsb-utilization-in-parkinsons-disease/