A qualitative analysis of motivational factors for resistance training in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: experiences from The Granheim COPD Study

Abstract

A qualitative analysis of motivational factors for resistance training in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: experiences from The Granheim COPD Study Background: Regular resistance exercise provides beneficial health effects for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and constitutes a natural component of lung rehabilitation programs. However, the patients' personal experience with such training remains largely unstudied. The purpose of this qualitative study was to map experiences with resistance training in participants enrolled in The Granheim COPD Study. Material and method: Eight out of 24 study participants with COPD (women/men, n=3/n=5; COPD grade II/III, n=4/n=4; age, 64-79 years) conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews during the 5th week of a total 13 weeks of resistance training. Findings: Overall, for all study participants with COPD, the training adherence was high (97%), with a concomitant low dropout rate (n=2 of 22) during the training period. The informants experienced a fairly high and increasing level of motivation for exercise training during the intervention. This was related to close personal follow-up from experienced personnel and a sense of security during training sessions, as well as an increased feeling of self-efficacy and competence. Interpretation: In subjects with COPD, the increasing motivation for conducting resistance training was closely associated with personal guidance from experienced supervisors during training sessions. Close follow-up from qualified personnel thus seems to be a prerequisite for achieving beneficial physical activity habits among such patients.

Keywords

• behavior change
• lung rehabilitation
• personal training
• qualitative research
• training motivation