Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Predictors of Exercise Tolerance, Severity of Dyspnea and Quality of Life in Pulmonary Rehabilitation Patients

Aloush, Sami Mohammad

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Nursing.
Chronic lung disease is serious health issue and pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective intervention. Although there is evidence that age, baseline quality of life, depression, number of pulmonary rehabilitation sessions a patient attends, and body mass index are related to quality of life following pulmonary rehabilitation, it is unclear if changes in exercise tolerance and severity of dyspnea from beginning to end of pulmonary rehabilitation contribute to the improvement of quality of life. Therefore, the purposes of this study were 1) to determine if number of pulmonary rehabilitation sessions attended, age, baseline quality of life, depression, and body mass index predict the change from the baseline to the end of pulmonary rehabilitation in severity of dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and quality of life in patients with chronic lung disease, and 2) to test if the amount of change in exercise tolerance and severity of dyspnea from the baseline to the end of pulmonary rehabilitation modifies the effect of the number of pulmonary rehabilitation sessions attended, age, baseline quality of life, depression, and body mass index on the change in quality of life from baseline to the end of rehabilitation. Based on the Roy Adaptation Model and the literature, the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Model was developed to guide this study. A descriptive retrospective design was used and a convenience sample of 125 pulmonary rehabilitation participants who completed a pulmonary rehabilitation program was obtained from the University Hospitals of Cleveland Pulmonary Rehabilitation Registry. The registry contained data from three pulmonary rehabilitation programs and consisted of 243 participants. Exercise tolerance, severity of dyspnea, and quality of life were measured at the time of enrollment and at the completion of a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Greater baseline body mass index was the only significant predictor for the change in exercise tolerance from the time of enrollment to the time of completion (unstandarized ß coefficient= 1.5, p<0.05). None of the baseline variables predicted the change in severity of dyspnea. Baseline quality of life was the only significant predictor for the change in quality of life (unstandarized ß coefficient= -0.3, p<0.05). Changes in severity of dyspnea and exercise tolerance did not modify the effect of the number of pulmonary rehabilitation sessions attended, age, quality of life at the baseline, depression, and body mass index on the change in quality of life from baseline to the end of rehabilitation. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the predictors of exercise tolerance and improvement of quality of life following pulmonary rehabilitation and provide direction for future studies. Participants with low BMI and quality of life may benefit from targeted interventions to enhance exercise tolerance and quality of life. To improve outcomes, pulmonary rehabilitation clinicians need to measure baseline quality of life and body mass index in order to determine participants who may not improve during the program.
Mary Dolansky (Advisor)
Shirley Moore (Committee Member)
Richard Josephson (Committee Member)
Christopher Burant (Committee Member)
124 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Aloush, S. M. (2013). Predictors of Exercise Tolerance, Severity of Dyspnea and Quality of Life in Pulmonary Rehabilitation Patients [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1372853967

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Aloush, Sami. Predictors of Exercise Tolerance, Severity of Dyspnea and Quality of Life in Pulmonary Rehabilitation Patients. 2013. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1372853967.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Aloush, Sami. "Predictors of Exercise Tolerance, Severity of Dyspnea and Quality of Life in Pulmonary Rehabilitation Patients." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1372853967

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)