Could Pedometers Encourage Physical Activity in Patients with COPD?

Adding a pedometer and targeted step counts to pulmonary rehabilitation therapy did not improve the physical activity levels of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a recent study.

The randomized controlled trial included 152 participants with COPD. Seventy-six participants were assigned to the control intervention, which consisted of 8 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation with 2 supervised sessions per week, and 76 participants were assigned to the intervention group, which consisted of 8 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation with pedometer-directed step targets that were reviewed each week. Changes from baseline to week 8 in accelerometer-measured daily time spent performing moderate to intense physical activity was assessed as the primary outcome.
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After 8 weeks, the researchers found no significant differences in the changes of time expending at least 3 metabolic equivalents between the intervention and control group.

The researchers found similar results during the 6-month follow-up.

“Pedometer-directed step-count targets during an outpatient PR program did not enhance moderate-intensity physical activity levels in people with COPD,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Nolan CM, Maddocks M, Canavan JL, et al. Pedometer step count targets during pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [published online May 15, 2017].

Am J Respir Crit Care Med. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201607-1372OC