Barriers to and enablers of physical activity following a hospitalisation for COPD exacerbation

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) in COPD patients worsens after hospitalisation for an exacerbation. Little is known about the barriers and enablers of PA after these events and their relationship with objective PA measures. Methods: We prospectively recruited COPD patients admitted for an exacerbation. At discharge, patients were instructed to wear a PA monitor (McRoberts© MoveMonitor) for 1 week. Patients came back for a clinical visit in which they were asked about a list of factors that may have affected their PA (Thorpe et al. 2014). The association between patients’ reported barriers and enablers of PA and daily steps was analysed. Results: We included 35 COPD patients (age, mean (SD) 66(10) years; 22(77%) male; FEV1 47 (16)%pred; median(p25-p75) 4571 (2330-7399)steps/day). Frequent reported barriers were: perception of incomplete recovery (40%), surrounding (34%), dyspnoea (31%), dislike for PA (26%) and fear of worsening (23%). Frequent enablers were: healthful (74%), feeling better (69%), perception of early recovery (57%), daily routine (54%) and hobbies (43%). Barriers and enablers related to PA are shown in Figure 1. Conclusion: Following a COPD hospital admission, barriers and enablers of PA reported by the patient are related to objective measure of PA. This information may be useful to implement PA interventions. Funding: Grants from the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and the Catalan Pneumology Foundation.