Barriers to physical activity in patients with intermittent claudication.
BACKGROUND
The main barriers reported by the patients with claudication are related to claudication symptoms. However, it remains unclear whether these barriers are associated with physical activity levels in these patients.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the barriers to and the factors associated with physical activity (PA) in intermittent claudication (IC) patients.


METHODS
The sample included 150 IC Brazilian patients and mean age 64 ± 9 years old. Sociodemographic factors, comorbid conditions and cardiovascular risk factors, personal and environmental barriers to PA, and walking capacity (claudication onset distance-COD and peak walking distance-PWD) were obtained. PA was assessed using a pedometer over seven consecutive days.


RESULTS
Patients performed 6,041 ± 3,166 steps/day. The most prevalent personal and environmental barriers to PAs were exercise-induced pain and the presence of obstacles that aggravate the leg pain. Multiple linear regression showed that level of PA was inversely associated with age (β = -81.13; p < 0.001), lack of green areas (β = -1363.54; p < 0.001), and positively associated with PWD (β = 3.07; p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Older IC patients who live in neighborhoods that lack green areas to walk in, and who have poor walking capacity present lower levels of PA.
University of Pernambuco, Associate Graduate Program in Physical Education UPE/UFPB, Arnóbio Marques Street, 310, Recife, 52050, Brazil.
João Paulo
JP
Barbosa
Breno Quintella
BQ
Farah
Marcel
M
Chehuen
Gabriel Grizzo
GG
Cucato
José Cazuza
JC
Farias Júnior
Nelson
N
Wolosker
Cláudia Lúcia
CL
Forjaz
Andrew W
AW
Gardner
Raphael Mendes
RM
Ritti-Dias
D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*