Evaluation of cardio-respiratory fitness and perceived exertion for patients with depressive and anxiety disorders: a study on reliability.
OBJECTIVE
The implementation of a physical reconditioning programme for patients with depressive and/or anxiety disorders requires a thorough evaluation of the physical fitness and the perceived exertion during exercise. This implies the use of reliable and clinically useful instruments. The present study examined the reliability of the Franz ergocycle test, as measure for cardio-respiratory fitness, and the Borg Category Ratio 10 Scale, as measure for subject-perceived exertion.


METHODS
Sixty-eight hospitalized patients performed test and re-test of the Franz ergocycle test and the Borg CR 10 Scale with a between interval of 1 week.


RESULTS
The Physical Work Capacity 130 and the Physical Work Capacity 150, determined by the Franz ergocycle test, had a proper to good test-re-test reliability (r ranged from 0.74 to 0.90). The Borg Category Ratio 10 Scale had a moderate reliability (r ranged from 0.42 to 0.82).


CONCLUSIONS
The Franz ergocycle test seems to be a reasonable reliable instrument for measuring physical work capacity of these patients. Possible explanations for the simply moderate reliability of the Borg Category Ratio 10 Scale could be the low level of physical activity prior to hospitalization, and the depressive and anxiety symptoms that might influence the perceived exertion.
Knapen
J
J
Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Tevuursevest, Belgium. jan.knappen@flok.kuleuven.ac.be
van de Vliet
P
P
van Coppenolle
H
H
Peuskens
J
J
Pieters
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena