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The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Among People Living With Human
Allison R Webel1, Joseph Perazzo, J Craig Phillips
1Allison R. Webel, PhD, RN, FAAN Assistant Professor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Joseph Perazzo, PhD, RN, ACRN Assistant Professor, International Nursing Network for HIV Research; and University of Cincinnati, Ohio. J. Craig Phillips, PhD, LLM, RN, APRN, ACRN, FAAN Vice-Dean Governance and Secretary and Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Kathleen M. Nokes, PhD, RN, FAAN Honorary Research Professor, Durban University of Technology, South Africa; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Cynthia Rentrope, MPH, MSSA Research Assistant, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Rebecca Schnall, PhD, RN Associate Professor, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York City, New York; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Rita Musanti, PhD, RN Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Kimberly Adams Tufts, ND, WHNP-BC, FAAN Professor, School of Nursing, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Elizabeth Sefcik, PhD, RN Professor, Texas A &M University, Corpus Christi; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Mary Jane Hamilton, PhD, RN Professor, Texas A &M University, Corpus Christi; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Carmen Portillo, PhD, RN Executive Deputy Dean & Professor, Yale School of Nursing, Orange, Connecticut; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Puangtip Chaiphibalsarisdi, PhD, RN Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Saint Louis College, Bangkok, Thailand; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Penelope Orton, PhD Senior Lecturer, Durban University of Technology, South Africa; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research. Liana Davis, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Texas A &M University, Corpus Christi. Carol Dawson Rose, PhD, RN Professor, University of California, San Francisco; and International Nursing Network for HIV Research.
Background:
People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) are at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in PLHIV are poorly understood.
Objective:
The aims of this study were to describe physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness by sex and age and to examine the association between physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in PLHIV, controlling for covariates.
Methods:
Seven hundred two PLHIV participated in a cross-sectional study and completed validated measures of self-reported physical activity (7-day Physical Activity Recall) and cardiorespiratory fitness (6-minute walk test). Participants were recruited from 7 diverse sites in the United States and Thailand, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression to examine the relationship between physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Results:
On average, participants self-reported engaging in 115 minutes of, mostly light (75%), physical activity. Men reported twice the amount of physical activity as women (155 vs 73 minutes, P = .01). Participants' ability to achieve their predicted 6-minute walk test distances was similar between men (68%) and women (69%) (P > .01). For women, vigorous physical activity was associated with a 6.6% increase in cardiorespiratory fitness and being temporarily unemployed was associated with an 18% decline in cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness increased with age (P < .01).
Conclusions:
Weekly physical activity of people living with human immunodeficiency virus averaged 85 minutes of mostly light activity, well below the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity. Vigorous physical activity was associated with improved cardiorespiratory fitness in women, but not men. Although PLHIV would benefit from interventions to increase physical activity, our data suggest a need to develop sex-specific physical activity strategies.
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