Association Between Chronic Airflow Obstruction and Physical Activity in A Multinational Study

Abstract

Background Several studies have suggested that poor respiratory health may strongly impact physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether people with chronic airflow obstruction are more or less likely to be physically active and to examine variations in this association across regions, sexes, and smoking statuses. Methods The data used in this study were from the general population-based Burden of Obstruction Lung Disease (BOLD) follow-up, collected from 18 different sites worldwide. A total of 3,372 participants answered the core questionnaire, provided high-quality lung function spirometry and had no missing data on relevant variables. The level of physical activity was classified into moderate, vigorous, and walking activity. We conducted comprehensive analytic modules using meta-analysis and logistic regression across different sites. The analysis assessed the impact of physical activity on the risk of airflow obstruction in both sexes, with further stratification by sexes. Result Overall, people with chronic airflow obstruction are 33% less likely to report moderate physical activity (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.93), as compared to people without obstruction. Remarkably, the association was significant in females (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.95) but not in males (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.48 to 1.27). These results were consistent across all sites. We found no significant association between vigorous physical activity and chronic airflow obstruction. Conclusion Chronic airflow obstruction seems to have a strong effect on physical activity, particularly in females. However, it is not clear from the data whether participants with chronic airflow obstruction were already less active before developing obstruction. Anyway, integrating pulmonary rehabilitation into clinical intervention for people with chronic airflow obstruction may be important as a way to improve their health outcomes and quality of life.