Objective: To study the effects of a lifestyle physical activity counseling program with feedback of a pedometer during pulmonary rehabilitation.
Methods: Twenty-one chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients were randomized to an experimental group that followed a regular rehabilitation program plus the counseling intervention or to a control group that only followed rehabilitation. The primary outcome was daily physical activity assessed by pedometers. Secondary outcomes were physical fitness, health-related quality of life, activities of daily living, depression and self-efficacy.
Results: The experimental group showed an increase of 1,430 steps/day (+69% from baseline), whereas the control group showed an increase of 455 steps/day (+19%) (p = 0.11 for group x time interaction). The secondary outcomes showed no differences.
Conclusion and practice implications: This study showed that the use of the pedometer, in combination with exercise counseling and the stimulation of lifestyle physical activity, is a feasible addition to pulmonary rehabilitation which may improve outcome and maintenance of rehabilitation results.