Exploration of physical activity knowledge, preferences and support needs among pulmonary hypertension patients

MCCORMACK, Ciara, KEHOE, Brona, CULLIVAN, Sarah, MCCAFFREY, Noel, GAINE, Sean, MCCULLAGH, Brian, MOYNA, Niall M. and HARDCASTLE, Sarah (2023). Exploration of physical activity knowledge, preferences and support needs among pulmonary hypertension patients. PLOS ONE, 18 (1): e0277696.

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Abstract

Objective: Physical activity (PA) is an established adjunct therapy for pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients to mitigate PH symptoms and improve quality of life. However, PA engagement within this population remains low. This study investigated PH patients’ knowledge of PA, recalled advice, exercise preferences and PA support needs. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 adults (mean age 50 years; SD ±12 years) diagnosed with PH, living in Ireland. Interview scripts were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Four key themes were identified: Lack of PA knowledge; exercise setting preference; accountability and monitoring; and clinician delivered PA information and guidance. Conclusion: This study found that PH clinicians provide suboptimal PA advice, yet patients desired clinician-delivered PA guidance. Home-based exercise was preferred with monitoring and external accountability deemed as important to facilitate sustained engagement. Practice implications: PH clinicians are well positioned to play a critical role in assisting and empowering PH patients to engage in PA. Providing training and education to PH clinicians regarding exercise prescription may be beneficial. Further research is needed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of home-based exercise interventions to improve quality of life and physical activity in PH.

Item Type:	Article
Contributors:	Editor - Kovacs, Gabor
Additional Information:	** From PLOS via Jisc Publications Router ** Licence for this article: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ** Acknowledgements: We wish like to thank each of the participants for volunteering their time to take part in the study, and the National Pulmonary Hypertension Unit for their assistance with recruitment. **Journal IDs: eissn 1932-6203 **Article IDs: publisher-id: pone-d-22-05600 **History: published_online 18-01-2023; collection 2023; accepted 02-11-2022; submitted 24-02-2022
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Research Article, Medicine and health sciences, Biology and life sciences, Social sciences, Research and analysis methods
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277696
SWORD Depositor:	Colin Knott
Depositing User:	Colin Knott
Date Deposited:	23 Jan 2023 10:29
Last Modified:	23 Jan 2023 10:45
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/31314

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