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. 2024 Oct 25;34(1):33.
doi: 10.1038/s41533-024-00386-7.

Living with COPD and its psychological effects on participating in community-based physical activity in Brazil: a qualitative study. Findings from the Breathe Well group

S M Martins  1 , R Adams  2 , E M Rodrigues  1 , R Stelmach  3 , P Adab  4 , C Chi  5 , K K Cheng  4 , B G Cooper  6 , J Correia-de-Sousa  7   8 , A P Dickens  4   9 , A Enocson  4 , A Farley  4 , N Gale  10 , K Jolly  4 , R E Jordan  4 , S Jowett  4 , M Maglakelidze  11 , T Maghlakelidze  12 , A Sitch  4   13 , K Stavrikj  14 , A M Turner  4 , S Williams  7 , V B Nascimento  1
Affiliations

Living with COPD and its psychological effects on participating in community-based physical activity in Brazil: a qualitative study. Findings from the Breathe Well group

S M Martins et al. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. .

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) improves dyspnoea, psychological wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) for people with COPD reducing their risk of exacerbation. However, engagement in PA is low especially amongst those with anxiety and depression, and PA programmes are limited in countries with limited resources such as Brazil. We explored perceptions of 21 people with COPD about the impact of their disease on taking part in community-based PA programmes in Sao Paulo, Brazil through semi-structured telephone interviews from October 2020 to April 2021. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the Framework method. Five themes were identified: Knowledge about COPD and its management; Self-perception of life with COPD; Knowledge and experiences of depression and anxiety; Opinions on PA and repercussions of COVID-19. PA was considered to be important in bringing physical and mental health benefits but there were barriers in accessibility of formal PR programmes and therefore local community PA programmes were considered to be important. People with mental health conditions tended to view PA more negatively. COVID-19 had reduced PA opportunities, access to COPD treatment and social interaction, and was associated with more exacerbations and emotional suffering. In general, this study showed an urgent need to improve knowledge about COPD and its risk factors and management among both patients, the public and primary healthcare professionals. We provide important content for the formulation of public policies for the implementation of specific activity programmes for people with COPD in community spaces using local resources and intersectoral partnerships.

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Conflict of interest statement

P.Ad. declares grant funding paid to her institution from NIHR, MRC and Colt Foundation, funding to Institution and to cover expenses as Chair of NIHR Public Health Research Funding Committee, Deputy Director of NIHR School for Public Health Research, funding to cover expense as Member of Wellcome Trust Early Career Advisory Group in Population and Public Health, Output Assessor for Panel A, subpanel 2 in 2021 Research Excellence Framework, and unfunded contributions as Chair for several NIHR funded TSCs, Member of the MRC funded Natural Experiments Evaluations Project Oversight Group, Member of Obesity Health Alliance Independent Obesity Strategy Working Group, Member of NIHR palliative and End of Life Care Research Partnerships call Panel, NIHR/UKRI Long COVID funding call Panel, NIHR COVID-19 Recovery and Learning Funding Committee; J.C-De-S. declares grant funding to his institution from AstraZeneca and GSK, advisory board and consulting fees paid to himself from Boheringer Ingelheim, GSK, AstraZeneca, Bial, Medinfar, Payment for lectures from GSK, AstraZeneca and Sanofi Pasteur, support for attending meetings from Mundipharma and Mylan, leadership role for International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG); A Farley declares grant funding paid to her institution from NIHR GHR for the present manuscript, grant funding from NIHR HTA, NIHR EME, MRC and Ethicon (Johnson and Johnson) for other work, membership on DMEC for NIHR funded e-cigarette trial (no honorarium), leadership role for International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) and as expert funding panel member for Cancer Research UK personal funding for; K.J. declares grant funding paid to her institution from NIHR and MRC, participant in Data Safety Monitoring Board or advisory board for NIHR funded studies (no honorarium), Sub-committee chair of NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Health Research (payments to institution); R.J. declares grant funding to her institution from NIHR, membership of Boehringer Ingelheim Primary Care Advisory Board, unfunded leadership role for International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) – research sub-committee, membership of NIHR Global Health Group panel and RfPB COPD Highlight panel; S.J. declares grant funding to her institution from NIHR GHR for present manuscript and unfunded membership of the HTA Funding Committee Policy Group (formerly CSG) and the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials Committee; S.M.M. declares leadership or fiduciary do GEPRAPS (Respiratory Group of Study and Research in Primary Care) of Center for Public Health Studies (CESCO) at the University Center of the ABC Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil, IPCRG (Internacional Primary Care Respiratory Group); A Sitch declares grant funding to her institution from NIHR GHR for present manuscript, NIHR Birmingham BRC and AstraZeneca; A Turner declares grant funding to her institution from NIHR GHR for present manuscript, grant funding from AstraZeneca and Chiesi for other work, payment of honoraria from GSK and Boehringer, support for attending meetings and/or travel from AstraZeneca and Chiesi; S.W. declares grants from the University of Birmingham paid to her institution, her institution has received conference sponsorship and independent educational grants from Pfizer Global Medical Grants, AstraZeneca, GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, Vitalograph, Caire Diagnostics and Thorasys; R.A., K.K.C., C.Chi., B.C., A.D., A.E., N.G., T.M., M.M., K.S., S.R. declare grant funding to their institution from NIHR GHR for current manuscript; V.B.N., E.R. have no financial or non-financial conflicts to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Coding framework used to code the data.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Themes and subthemes.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Barriers and enablers for the practice of Physical Activity in patients with COPD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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