Barriers and Facilitators to Healthy Physical Activity in Asthma Patients

Abstract

Preliminary evidence indicates that asthma patients limit exercise and healthy lifestyle activities to avoid respiratory symptoms. This self-imposed decrease in activity, even among those with mild disease, may predispose to long-term general health risks. The objectives of this qualitative study were to determine patients' views about exercise and lifestyle activities and to determine if these views varied depending on asthma characteristics. During in-person interviews, 60 patients were asked open-ended questions about asthma and perceived barriers and facilitators to exercise and lifestyle activities, particularly walking. Responses were coded and corroborated by independent investigators and then compared according to asthma severity, knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Although most patients acknowledged the importance of exercise, many either limited or did not participate in exercise because of asthma and other conditions. Patients cited both internal and external barriers to exercise, such as lack of motivation, time constraints, and extreme weather affecting asthma. Patients identified multiple facilitators, such as social support and the desire to be healthy. Lifestyle activities were preferred over formal exercise regimens. Patients with more severe disease were more likely to believe that exercise was not good for asthma. Patients with less knowledge, less self-efficacy, and worse attitudes toward asthma also were more likely to have negative perspectives about exercise. In conclusion, for many patients, asthma is a deterrent to physical activity and predisposes to inactivity. Developing interventions to foster prudent lifestyle activities and exercise among asthma patients should be a priority to decrease long-term health risks.

A nested case–control study: personal, social and environmental correlates of vigorous physical activity in adolescents with asthma

“…As far as peer support is concerned, the factor's association with VPA is sensible compared with previous research (14,16,19,(21)(22)(23)(24). Children and adolescents with asthma endeavour to be "normal" amongst peers (37) which may contribute to the perception of peer support by those with high level of PA and that boys participate in 0.55 hours more VPA each day than girls in the present study.…”

“…Older subjects seems less sensible of parental support (19). Concerning parental restrictions to PA by fear of breathlessness in children and adolescents with asthma (15,16), one may also expect the association to be negative. Lack of negative significant association of parental support may thereby be interpreted as satisfactory.…”

“…Furthermore, van Gent et al (10) did not found lower level of VPA based on both self-reports and objective recordings, and neither did Nystad (11) at any level of exercise frequency or exercise hours a week in asthma based on self-reports. Even though asthma control and severity are associated with level of PA (1,6,7), and that increased intensity and exercise load is associated with bronchoconstriction (12), there is also evidence that psychosocial and socio-demographical factors and knowledge/competence are important for level of physical activity in children and adolescents with asthma (1,(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). Parents observing shortness of breath in their child may lead them to restrain their children from exertion (14), with subsequent increasing fear of breathlessness followed by personal or parental restrictions (15,16).…”

Interventions for chronic low back pain: whole body vibration and spinal stabilisation

“…3 WBV training provides a means by which this requirement can be met as it provides health-related fitness benefits while reducing the non-compliance often encountered due to weather conditions, lack of motivation and work obligations. 4 This finding was substantiated in a statement that a short-term, supervised exercise protocol where the exercise scientist, health care professional or trainer has more or less direct influence and control over the intervention process, provided there is a fairly good adherence rate to the exercise programme. 5 CLBP has been defined as persistent or recurrent back pain experienced by an individual for a period longer than 3 months.…”

Effects of exercise training on atrophy gene expression in skeletal muscle of mice with chronic allergic lung inflammation

“…Many clinical and experimental studies have suggested that decreased lung function can be attributed directly to airway inflammation and remodeling (2,3). In addition, decreased physical capacity is normally considered to be secondary to decreased lung function (4), and is strongly related to the psychosocial effects of asthma (5) and to peripheral skeletal muscle disuse (6). These secondary effects have been demonstrated in both asthmatic children and adults (7).…”