Physical activity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Reduced physical activity (PA) is the strongest predictor of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Understanding the landscape of PA, its barriers, facilitators, and assessment tools in COPD is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the existing evidence on physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• To identify barriers and facilitators influencing PA in COPD patients.
• To review the assessment tools used for measuring PA in this population.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review methodology guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework.
• Comprehensive electronic searches of five English and three Chinese databases were conducted in January 2022.
• Independent screening and data extraction by two authors ensured rigorous study selection.

Main Results:

• 42 studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing various study designs including randomized controlled trials.
• Key barriers to PA in COPD include older age, female sex, lung function, comorbidities, COPD symptoms, disease severity, and environmental factors.
• Physical exercise interventions like pulmonary rehabilitation and behavioral modification showed positive effects on PA and prognosis, though real-life maintenance remains difficult.

Conclusions:

• Changing PA behavior in COPD necessitates multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Further research is required to identify optimal PA measurement instruments for clinical practice.
• Future studies should investigate the long-term effectiveness of behavioral interventions on PA through robust randomized controlled trials.