Stages of health behavior change and factors associated with physical activity in patients with intermittent claudication

OBJECTIVE: To analyze, in people with intermittent claudication, the frequency of individuals who are in each of stages of health behavior change to practice physical activity, and analyze the association of these stages with the walking capacity. METHODS: We recruited 150 patients with intermittent...

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Main Authors: Jacilene Guedes de Oliveira, João Paulo dos Anjos Souza Barbosa, Breno Quintella Farah, Marcel da Rocha Chehuen, Gabriel Grizzo Cucato, Nelson Wolosker, Cláudia Lúcia de Moraes Forjaz, Raphael Mendes Ritti Dias
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein
Series:Einstein (São Paulo)
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-45082012000400005&lng=en&tlng=en
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Summary:OBJECTIVE: To analyze, in people with intermittent claudication, the frequency of individuals who are in each of stages of health behavior change to practice physical activity, and analyze the association of these stages with the walking capacity. METHODS: We recruited 150 patients with intermittent claudication treated at a tertiary center, being included those >30-year-old-individuals and who had ankle-arm index <0.90. We obtained socio-demographic information, presence of comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors and stages of health behavior change to practice physical activity through a questionnaire, they being pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Moreover, the walking capacity was measured in a treadmill test (Gardner protocol). RESULTS: Most individuals were in the maintenance stage (42.7%), however, when the stages of health behavior change were categorized into active (action and maintenance) and inactive (pre-contemplation, contemplation and preparation),51.3% of the individuals were classified as inactive behavior. There was no association between stages of health behavior change, sociodemographic factors and cardiovascular risk factors. However, patients with intermittent claudication who had lower total walking distance were three times more likely to have inactive behavior. CONCLUSION: Most patients with intermittent claudication showed an inactive behavior and, in this population, lower walking capacity was associated with this behavior.
ISSN:1679-4508
2317-6385