Systemic effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in young-old adults’ life-space mobility

Abstract

Purpose

The objective was to assess whether dyspnea, peripheral muscle strength and the level of physical activity are correlated with life-space mobility of older adults with COPD.

Patients and methods

Sixty patients over 60 years of age (40 in the COPD group and 20 in the control group) were included. All patients were evaluated for lung function (spirometry), life-space mobility (University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment), dyspnea severity (Modified Dyspnea Index), peripheral muscle strength (handgrip dynamometer), level of physical activity and number of daily steps (accelerometry). Groups were compared using unpaired t-test. Pearson’s correlation was used to test the association between variables.

Results

Life-space mobility (60.41±16.93 vs 71.07±16.28 points), dyspnea (8 [7–9] vs 11 [10–11] points), peripheral muscle strength (75.16±14.89 vs 75.50±15.13 mmHg), number of daily steps (4,865.4±2,193.3 vs 6,146.8±2,376.4 steps), and time spent in moderate to vigorous activity (197.27±146.47 vs 280.05±168.95 minutes) were lower among COPD group compared to control group (p<0.05). The difference was associated with the lower mobility of COPD group in the neighborhood.

Conclusion

Life-space mobility is decreased in young-old adults with COPD, especially at the neighborhood level. This impairment is associated to higher dyspnea, peripheral muscle weakness and the reduced level of physical activity.

Keywords:

• COPD
• elderly
• mobility limitation
• dyspnea
• muscular weakness

Supplementary materials

Table S1 UAB Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment™

Reference

• PeelCSawyer BakerPRothDLAssessing mobility in older adults: the UAB Study of Aging Life-Space AssessmentPhys Ther200585101008111916180950
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Acknowledgments

We thank the participants of this study. This project was funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (grant numbers 2012/16817-3 and 2015/12614-9). The funding source had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or preparation, review, and approval of the manuscript.

Author contributions

IFFG, CTT, MdSMPS, ISL and ACL contributed to the concept and design of this study and undertook data analysis and interpretation. All authors contributed toward drafting and critically revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.