Examining the relationship between physical activity, cannabis use, and mood in individuals with chronic pain
Abstract
Objective: Recently there has been growing research and public interest in the health risks and benefits of cannabis use, including its links to physical functioning and mood. The aim of this study was to explore links between physical activity, cannabis use, and positive affect among a sample of young adult recreational cannabis users with chronic pain. We expected that greater participation in physical activity would be associated with more positive affect, but that increased frequency of cannabis use would act as a moderator reducing the significance of the relationship.
Methods: Participants (ages 18-29, 63% female) included 90 community-dwelling young adult cannabis users with chronic pain (defined as moderate or higher intensity pain of at least 3 months duration). All participants completed a set of questionnaires assessing their pain, levels of physical activity, mood state, and frequency of cannabis use. Bootstrap moderation models were conducted on the baseline survey data using the PROCESS macro.
Results: The vast majority of the sample (83%) reported using cannabis at least once per day and approximately half (53%) reported that their chronic pain was associated with significant activity limitations. Pain locations were predominantly musculoskeletal, though the vast majority of participants reported pain in across multiple locations and body regions. Within the total sample, higher physical activity was positively associated with positive mood (r=.36, p<.001), and frequency of cannabis use moderated this relationship (b=-.0009, 95% CI [-.0016,-.0002], t=-2.57, p=.01). Positive mood was significantly related to physical activity when cannabis use was low and at the mean value (p<.001) but not at high levels of cannabis use (p=.21).
Conclusions and future directions: Participating in leisure physical activity is associated with positive mood in those with chronic pain; however, and this relationship may be dampened by more frequent cannabis use. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether and how cannabis affects physical activity and mood in young adults with and without chronic pain. Physical activity is an important component of treatment for young people in pain, and there may be a transactional relationship between engagement in physical activity and positive mood. If frequent cannabis use dampens that relationship, users with pain may be less likely to engage in physical activity over time. This remains to be tested.
About the Presenter
Maria Moylan
Maria Moylan is a first year doctoral student in the Experimental Psychology Program. At WSU, she studies health through a holistic lens as she prepares to become a Health Psychologist. Maria’s specific research interests involve how psychosocial and behavioral factors affect physical health and overall well-being, interventions for children struggling with chronic pain to improve their quality of life, and health promotion. Her goal is to obtain her doctorate and use all the tools she has gained to find solutions to problems surrounding health so that youth struggling with mental or physical illness can live their lives more fully.