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Free-living physical activity in COPD: Assessment with accelerometer and activity checklist

Marilyn L. Moy, MD, MSc, et al.

Figure. Range of steps per day within and between subjects, n = 10.

To assess disability in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we evaluated the use of an accelerometer and physical activity (PA) checklist to measure free-living PA. In this article, we showed that prospectively measuring free-living PA in subjects with COPD with a simple activity checklist is feasible and, in the subgroup of subjects in whom the device is accurate, can be performed with the use of an unobtrusive, simple accelerometer. Using the accelerometer and the activity checklist, we found low daily variation in free-living PA that was significantly associated with clinical measures of COPD status.


Volume 46 Number 2, 2009
   Pages 277 — 286

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