BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS), the most common neurological disease that causes disability in youth, does not only affect physical functions but is also associated with cognitive impairment, fatigue, depression, and anxiety and can significantly impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Since MS is generally diagnosed at a young age—a period of great significance for personal, relational, and professional development—adaptation can become highly challenging. Therefore, enhancing the competence of young people to adaptively cope with these potential challenges is of utmost importance in order to promote their potentialities and talents. It has been shown that psychological interventions targeting MS patients can enhance resilience and HRQoL and that regular physical activity (PA) and social engagement can improve psychological well-being. However, literature on the development of global interventions based on the bio-psycho-social model of the disease is missing. Even less attention has been paid to interventions dedicated to young adults with MS (YawMS) and to the involvement of patients in the development of such programs.AimsIn collaboration with MS patients, this study aims to develop a bio-psycho-social intervention (ESPRIMO) for YawMS, aiming to improve their HRQoL and to explore its feasibility, acceptability, and effects.MethodsTo tailor the intervention to the specific needs of YawMS, “patient engagement principles” will be adopted in the co-creation phase, performing a web survey and focus groups with patients and healthcare professionals. In the intervention phase, a pilot sample of 60 young adults with MS will be enrolled. The co-created intervention, composed of group sessions over a 12-week period, will cover psycho-social strategies and include physical activities. Adopting a longitudinal, pre–post evaluation design, self-report questionnaires measuring HRQoL and other bio-psycho-social features (e.g., resilience, well-being, mindfulness traits, self-efficacy, perceived social support, psychological symptoms, illness perception, committed action, fatigue, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, motivation, perception of autonomy support for PA, barriers and intentions to PA) will be administered, the quantity and quality of PA will be measured, and a questionnaire developed by the authors will be used to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the ESPRIMO intervention.

Introduction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, comprehensive social distancing policies, such as prohibiting agglomerations, travel restrictions, and staying-at-home recommendations, were adopted by several countries. Due to these lockdown measures, older adults decreased daily physical activity levels, consequently increasing sedentary behavior. This pilot feasibility study aimed to explore the feasibility of implementation (i.e., adherence, safety) and acceptability (i.e., satisfaction, intent to continue use, perceived appropriateness) of an online face-to-face supervised exercise intervention in a sample of older adults. Material and Methods. Seven older adults (mean age: 68 ± 5 years; 38% females) completed the study. The exercise program was composed of two 45-min sessions per week for five consecutive weeks. Participants followed a remote exercise program in Zoom©. After each training session, both participants and the fitness trainer completed a questionnaire designed to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of the exercise program. Results. Six out of seven participants (i.e., 86%) attended 100% of the workouts. No experience of fall/injury occurred during the training. All the participants agreed or strongly agreed to have the competence to perform the proposed exercise (range 100-42.9%), and this perception increased at the end of the intervention. Conclusions. Our results suggest that an online physical exercise program using web technology seems to be feasible and acceptable to independent older adults. The program does not require specific equipment, shows a high adherence level, and seems safe. Moreover, both the participants and the fitness trainer reported a high level of satisfaction with the activity.