Activity, sedentary behaviour and risks in COPD
In both the general population and in people with chronic disease, 2 distinct fields of research have developed to examine the impact of activity behaviours on health outcomes: physical activity research and sedentary behaviour research.
Physical activity is assessed on a continuum based on intensity level from engagement in light, moderate, vigorous and very vigorous activity.
Sedentary behaviour, instead, looks at the amount of time spent in activities at a low intensity of less than 1.5 metabolic equivalents (better known as METs) in a sitting or lying posture but not including sleep.
People with chronic lung disease - such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD) - are encouraged to meet general guidelines for physical activity, but the effects of sedentary behaviour in this population are less well understood.
A new cohort study was conducted to determine whether the amounts of physical activity and sedentary behaviour accrued by people with COPD increase their odds of death and cardiometabolic risk factors. The study used data from nearly 600 people with COPD.
People with high physical activity and low sedentary behaviour had the best health outcomes.
Among people with COPD, adhering to physical activity guidelines and keeping leisure-based sitting time low had a mortality benefit and lowered the odds of developing diabetes. Physiotherapists should encourage people with COPD to adhere to activity recommendations and also consider whether sedentary behaviour could be reduced.
Want to read deeper into this topic? Have a look at the free full text version of this article published in Journal of Physiotherapy!
> From: McKeough et al., J Physiother 64 (2018) 114-120. All rights reserved to the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Click here for the online summary.
