title: Physical activity levels improve following discharge in people admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: This study aimed to determine the physical activity level of people admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and whether physical activity changed immediately after discharge and 6 weeks post hospital admission. In this prospective observational study, people admitted to hospital with an AECOPD had physical activity levels monitored using the SenseWear(®) Armband (model MF-SW) for 3 days in hospital (T1), during the first week at home following discharge (T2), and at home during the sixth week after admission (T3). Fifty participants (mean age (SD) 71 (10) years) completed the study. There was a linear increase in average steps per day over the three time periods (T1, mean (SD) 1385 (1972) steps/day; T2, 2040 (2680); T3, 2328 (2745); analysis of variance (ANOVA) p = 0.001) and time spent in moderate activity (3.0-6.0 metabolic equivalents; minutes/day) (T1, mean (SD) 16 (27) minutes/day; T2, 32 (46) minutes/day; T3, 35 (58) minutes/day; ANOVA p = 0.008). For both outcomes, post hoc t-tests showed significant improvements from T1 to T2 and from T1 to T3, but not between T2 and T3. Physical activity was low in hospital and significantly improved in the week after discharge but showed no further significant improvement at 6 weeks following a hospitalized AECOPD.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia Department of Physiotherapy, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia lingling.tsai@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Ling Ling Y
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia Department of Physiotherapy, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alison
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Zoe J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: McKeough
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009043:Motor Activity; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: 6-minute walk test; Acute exacerbation; COPD; hospitalization; physical activity