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Published on: August 24, 2019
Depression symptoms reduce physical activity in COPD patients: a prospective multicenter study
Iván Dueñas-Espín1, Heleen Demeyer2, Elena Gimeno-Santos3
1ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBEREpidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain; Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación del Ecuador (SENESCYT), Quito, Ecuador; Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression symptoms significantly reduce physical activity (PA) over six months. Anxiety did not show a similar association with PA levels in this study.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Exercise Science
Background:
- The relationship between mental health and physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains debated.
- This study prospectively investigates the impact of anxiety and depression symptoms on PA in COPD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prospective association between symptoms of anxiety and depression and physical activity levels in patients diagnosed with COPD.
Main Methods:
- 220 COPD patients from five European countries were evaluated for anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
- Physical activity was measured using a Dynaport(®) accelerometer over 12 months.
- Regression models with repeated measures were used to analyze the association between HADS scores and PA at different time points.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between depression symptoms and reduced PA; each one-point increase in the HADS-depression score correlated with an 81 steps/day decrease in PA (P=0.02).
- No significant association was observed between anxiety symptoms and physical activity levels.
- The prevalence of probable anxiety and depression at baseline was 10% and 5%, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Symptoms of depression are prospectively linked to a quantifiable decrease in physical activity among COPD patients.
- These findings highlight the importance of addressing depression to improve physical activity in COPD management.
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