Active for life intervention produces a sustained increase in physical activity in people with chronic obstructive...

Many older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are inactive and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can be too strenuous for long-term maintenance. We examined effects of an intervention to increase light physical activity (LPA). Primary outcomes were physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB).

Active for Life with COPD (Active-Life) is a self-efficacy-based intervention designed to increase LPA. Chair Exercises with Health Education (Chair-HE) served as an active control. PA and SB were measured with ActivPAL and ActiGraph accelerometers.

We randomized 159 people with COPD to 10 weeks of Active-Life or Chair-HE. 128 people completed the intervention; 105 completed 1-year follow-up. The sample was 45% female, mean (SD) age was 69.6 (8.2), FEV₁ % predicted 55.7 (14.7), and FEV₁/FVC 60.8 (12.3). Increases in mean (±95% CI) total PA (upright time) at end-of-intervention, 3, and 6 months relative to baseline, were 23.7 (5.0, 42.3), 21.2 (2.5, 39.9), and 29.1 (10.6, 47.7) minutes/day higher in the Active-Life compared to Chair-HE group. Step count increases at end-of-intervention, 3, 6, and 12 months were 1243 (878, 1608), 788 (421, 1155), 603 (239, 967), and 418 (43, 793) steps/day higher in Active-Life. MVPA increased at end-of-intervention, 3, 6, and 12 months: 9.7 (6.5, 12.9), 6.8 (3.8, 9.8), 4.7 (1.6, 7.7), and 2.8 (0.2, 5.5) minutes/day higher in Active-Life. No consistent changes were seen in LPA and SB.

Active-Life produced significant, sustained increases in PA for 12 months. Further work is needed to reduce SB and establish longer-term PA effects.