title: Factors that influence physical activity in the daily life of male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with great impact on the ability to carry out physical activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the main factors that affect physical activity in the daily life of patients with COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physical activity in daily routine has been evaluated according to the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale (LCADL) and the pedometer counting the number of steps per day, for a period of three days. Fifty-five male patients with a diagnosis of moderate to very severe COPD were included (aged 67±9.6 years; FEV1 50.8±14.7% predicted).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients walked on average 4972 steps per day. Very severe COPD patients (n=12) walked much less than severe (n=21) and moderate (n=22) patients (respectively 3079.8 versus 4853.5 and 6118.1 steps per day, p<0.001). The number of steps per day had a negative correlation with age, dyspnea (mMRC), depression, BODE index and pulmonary hyperinflation; and a positive correlation with the distance covered in the six-minute walk test (6MWT), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO), arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main factors that correlated with limited physical activity in daily life routine of this group of COPD patients were dyspnea and 6 min walking distance. These patients form a sedentary group, with a low rate of daily physical activity, which is more evident in patients with GOLD spirometry stage IV. Although pedometer is simpler and less accurate than other devices, it can be used to detect significant restraints daily life physical activity of COPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Centro Hospitalar de Torres Vedras, Torres Vedras, Portugal. Electronic address: susana.barriga@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barriga
authors.affiliation: Serviço Pneumologia - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Faculdade de Medicina Universidade Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Serviço Pneumologia - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Faculdade de Medicina Universidade Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bárbara
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Activities of daily living; Atividades da Vida Diária; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crónica; Pedometer; Pedómetro