BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA: IDENTIFICATION OF THE RESPONDING PROFILE

Abstract

Introduction: Very recent evidence suggests that patients with asthma improve clinical control after a behavioral intervention program aimed improving the physical activity. Although the majority of patients responded to having responded to the intervention, the response of these patients to the behavioral program was quite varied and the characteristics of patients with asthma who have improved behavioral intervention are unknown. In addition, the medium-term response remains unknown. Aims: The aims of the present study are i) To assess the response of patients with asthma to a behavioral intervention to increase the level of physical activity and clinical improvement in the short and medium term; ii) Identify the clinical, personal and anthropometric characteristics of the responder and non-responder patients. Methods: This is a longitudinal study and the sample will consist of 100 adult patients with asthma physically inactive and with uncontrolled asthma. Patients will undergo a behavioral intervention consisting of an educational program and an intervention to increase the practice of physical activity in daily life (PADL) lasting eight weeks (1xweek; 90 min). The intervention will be based on Social Cognitive Theory and behavior change stages. Pre and post-intervention assessments will include the level of PADL (accelerometry), anthropometric measurements, body composition, and assessment of barriers to the practice of PADL, clinical control of asthma (Asthma control questionnaire, ACQ), health factors related to the quality of life in asthma (Asthma quality of life questionnaire), presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression (Hospital anxiety and depression scale- HADS), and exacerbations. Patients will be stratified as "responders" to the intervention by an increase of e2,500 steps and clinical improvement (> 0.5 ACQ). Comparisons between groups will be performed using the t-test or Man-Withney. Linear correlations will be performed using Pearson's or Spearman's coefficient. The level of significance will be adjusted to5% (p <0.05) for all tests.