Investigation of the difference between treadmill self-efficacy and actual performance in Taiwanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
OBJECTIVE
Because overactivity or underactivity may result in inadequate physical responses among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the purpose of this study was to examine the difference between treadmill self-efficacy and actual treadmill performance. Factors that influence self-efficacy and actual performance were also examined.


METHODS
The design was a descriptive and correlational study.


METHODS
The study took place at the Research Center of Sports Medicine in University.


METHODS
A total of 48 subjects with COPD were recruited from 4 hospitals.


METHODS
The outcome measures were treadmill self-efficacy and actual treadmill performance.


METHODS
Data were collected by means of treadmill exercise testing and 3 structured questionnaires.


RESULTS
The findings of the study demonstrated that the average maximal functional capacity was 2.94 METs. A positive significant relationship between treadmill self-efficacy and actual performance was observed. However, the majority of subjects (72.9%) underestimated their treadmill performance and only 7 subjects (14.6%) assessed their treadmill performance accurately. Dyspnea was the most common reason for a subject to stop during the exercise testing. The patient's past experience was the most important predictor for both treadmill self-efficacy and actual treadmill performance.


CONCLUSIONS
These results revealed that patients in Taiwan who have COPD have extremely poor functional capacity and most of them underestimated their exercise performance. An assessment of self-efficacy and exercise performance seems imperative in the development of individualized nursing interventions to help COPD patients.
Jeng
Chii
C
Taipei Medical University School of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Yang
Hsiao-Chuan
HC
Wai
Pui Man
PM
Tsai
Jen Chen
JC
Wei
Ling Ling
LL
Chen
Su-Ru
SR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013624:Taiwan