Feasibility and acceptability of active for life with COPD, an intervention to increase light physical activity in people with COPD.
Janet L Larson, Katelyn E Webster
PMID 32008809WHAT IT FOUND
In 13 COPD patients, light activity did not increase significantly, though walking distance improved.
The program was feasible and acceptable, but high attrition limits confidence.
Key findings
01The main physical activity outcomes were not statistically significant: standing and stepping increased by 36 minutes per 24 hours at the end of training and by 21 minutes per 24 hours at two months, but this was not statistically significant.
02Six-minute walk distance increased by 128 feet after training and 61 feet at two months, with P=0.012.
03Fifty-four people were screened, 26 completed the intervention, and 12/13 participants found the program enjoyable and beneficial.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 13 participants were analyzed for outcomes, so the study was not powered to detect treatment effects. There was no control group in the main analysis, so changes cannot be confidently attributed to the intervention. Attrition was high: 54 people were screened, 26 completed the intervention, and 19 completed the intervention and follow-up measures. The follow-up period was only two months, so longer-term maintenance is unknown. The first six participants did not receive the educational component, and their outcome data were not analyzed. The intervention combined exercise, education, goal setting, pedometers, an activity log, and a buddy system, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Home-based adherence was not directly monitored, and activity log return was low.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied publication types indicate NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the significant six-minute walk increase as proof the program works. The primary physical activity outcomes were not statistically significant, and the study was a small pilot without a control group.