Malaika Pasch
Pronouns: she,her,hers
Research Mentor(s): Janet Larson, Professor
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing
Presentation Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021
Session: Session 2 (11am – 11:50am)
Breakout Room: Room 12
Presenter: 2
Abstract
Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), tend to live a sedentary life which can increase the risk of mortality and heighten symptoms of COPD. In attempting to prevent this sedentary lifestyle in COPD patients, many exercise programs focus on vigorous physical activity which is not sustainable in the long run. The Principal Investigator of this study, Janet Larson, developed an exercise program, called Active Life. The Active Life program emphasizes light physical activity for patients with COPD. The study conducted is a randomized controlled clinical trial where COPD participants are randomly placed into two groups, the Active for Life intervention and the control intervention. The study is conducted to determine if the Active Life intervention is an effective program in promoting physical activity in COPD patients. The participants in the Active Life intervention complete an exercise program including functional circuit training (FCT), health education, and self-regulation strategies. The participants in the control group complete an exercise program that includes chair exercises, relaxation promotion, and health education. The participants complete 10 weeks of lab-based exercise, then a one-year follow-up which measures activity levels and home-based exercises. Through the data collected from the Active Life study, I decided to look into the effect that physical activity has on anxiety levels in patients with moderate to severe COPD. In the study, data was collected on anxiety levels throughout the study as well as different measurements of physical fitness and activity. I examined the long-term (52-week post-intervention) impact of light physical activity on self-reported anxiety compared to the control group.
Authors: Malaika Pasch, Ron Dechert, Janet Larson
Research Method: Clinical Research
