Abstract
Introduction: The present study aimed to measure physical activity in healthy adults and patients with Asthma and COPD. More specifically, to analyse duration and movement intensity of walking and cycling.
Methods: Patients with Asthma (n=40) and COPD (n=40) were recruited from the outpatient clinic of the Sint Franciscus Gasthuis (Rotterdam, NL). Controls (n=40) were SFG employees. All participants were measured for one week with the DynaPort MoveMonitor (MM) which was attached centrally over the lower back with an elastic belt around the waist. Movement intensity (MI) was defined as the average of the resultant acceleration during an interval and expressed in units of the acceleration due to gravity (g). Analysis was performed by specific MM software and ANOVA.
Results: Mean durations of walking and cycling differed highly significantly between the groups, MI of walking but not cycling differed significantly. All controls, 38 Asthma and 36 COPD patients cycled.
| Controls | Asthma | COPD | p-Value* | |
| Mean durations (hh:mm) | ||||
| Walking | 10:32 | 9:03 | 6:30 | <0.000 |
| Cycling | 1:32 | 0:58 | 0:53 | 0.035 |
| Non-cycling participants | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| Movement Intensity | ||||
| Walking | 0.22 | 0.19 | 0.17 | <0.000 |
| Cycling | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.24 |
* P-values were calculated comparing controls and patients with asthma and COPD using ANOVA (p<0.05)
Discussion: Patients with Asthma and COPD walk 14 and 28% less than controls. Duration of cycling was also lower in patients with Asthma (52%) and COPD (57%). This implies that physical activity interventions are important in COPD and asthma. The MI of walking showed the same pattern, but the MI during cycling did not differ between populations. However, whether these limitations in activity are due unwillingness, dyspnea, or physiological impairment needs further study.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015
