title: Sing Your Lungs Out-a community singing group for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a 1-year pilot study.
abstract: Singing group participation may benefit patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Previous studies are limited by small numbers of participants and short duration of generally hospital-based singing group intervention. This study examines the feasibility of long-term participation in a community singing group for patients with COPD who had completed pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).
  
  
  
  This was a feasibility cohort study. Patients with COPD who had completed PR and were enrolled in a weekly community exercise group were recruited to a new community-based singing group which met weekly for over 1 year. Measurements at baseline, 4 months and 1 year comprised comprehensive pulmonary function tests including lung volumes, 6 min walk test (6MWT), Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and hospital admission days for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) for 1 year before and after the first singing group session.
  
  
  
  There were 28 participants with chronic lung disease recruited from 140 people approached. Five withdrew in the first month. 21 participants meeting Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria for COPD completed 4-month and 18 completed 1-year assessments. The mean attendance was 85%. For the prespecified primary outcome measure, total HADS score, difference between baseline and 12 months was -0.9, 95% CI -3.0 to 1.2, p=0.37. Of the secondary measures, a significant reduction was observed for HADS anxiety score after 1 year of -0.9 (95% CI -1.8 to -0.1) points, p=0.038 and an increase in the 6MWT at 1 year, of 65 (95% CI 35 to 99) m compared with baseline p<0.001.
  
  
  
  Our findings support the feasibility of long-term participation in a community singing group for adults with COPD who have completed PR and are enrolled in a weekly community exercise group and provide evidence of improved exercise capacity and a reduction in anxiety.
  
  
  
  ACTRN12615000736549; Results.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.|Department of Respiratory Medicine, Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McNaughton
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weatherall
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McNaughton
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.|Department of Emergency Medicine, Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aldington
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Gayle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.|Department of Respiratory Medicine, Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beasley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D005652:Functional Residual Capacity; D006801:Humans; D007320:Inspiratory Capacity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D063346:Singing; D014109:Total Lung Capacity; D014797:Vital Capacity; D000070857:Walk Test
keywords: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Pulmonary Rehabilitation; Singing