Summer-Winter Variability in the Level of Physical Activity in Daily Life in Brazilian and Belgian Patients With COPD

Summary

Up to this moment, the majority of studies assessing the level of physical activity in daily life in patients with COPD are limited to a cross-sectional design, which does not take into account natural variation of physical activity in daily life due to differences in climatic conditions faced throughout the year. Preliminary evidences suggest that patients with COPD have different physical activity levels according to the seasons of the year. However, the limited current evidences do not allow us to know the magnitude of differences in the level of daily physical activity in patients with COPD when taking into account climatic changes resulting from different seasons of the year in cities and countries with contrasting climatic conditions. This gap observed in the literature does not allow us at this moment to know whether we should or not consider the season of the year as one of the main causes of variability while assessing physical activity in daily life in patients with COPD.

The present project proposes to investigate the hypothesis that patients with COPD who live in a place with less marked decrease in temperature between summer and winter (Londrina, Brazil) have less variability in the level of physical activity in daily life through the year in comparison to patients who live in a place with more marked climatic variability during these seasons (Leuven, Belgium).

Conditions

• Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Interventions

OTHER

Londrina

Two groups of patients, one group in Londrina and another group in Leuven, will be simultaneously and objectively evaluated concerning their physical activity in daily life during one week in two different moments: in January 2013 (winter in Leuven and summer in Londrina), and then the same two groups of patients will be once again simultaneously re-evaluated during another week in July 2013 (summer in Leuven and winter in Londrina).

OTHER

Leuven

Two groups of patients, one group in Londrina and another group in Leuven, will be simultaneously and objectively evaluated concerning their physical activity in daily life during one week in two different moments: in January 2013 (winter in Leuven and summer in Londrina), and then the same two groups of patients will be once again simultaneously re-evaluated during another week in July 2013 (summer in Leuven and winter in Londrina).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• KU Leuven

  collaborator OTHER

• Universidade Estadual de Londrina

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Fabio Pitta, PhD · Laboratory of Research in Respiratory Physiotherapy, State University of Londrina, Brazil

• Karina C. Furlanetto, PT · Laboratory of Research in Respiratory Physiotherapy, State University of Londrina, Brazil

• Nidia A. Hernandes, PhD · Laboratory of Research in Respiratory Physiotherapy, State University of Londrina, Brazil

• Thais Sant'Anna, MSc · Laboratory of Research in Respiratory Physiotherapy, State University of Londrina, Brazil

• Vanessa S. Probst, PhD · Laboratory of Research in Respiratory Physiotherapy, State University of Londrina, Brazil

• Thierry Troosters, PhD · University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

• Heleen Demeyer, PT · University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

• Carlos A. Camillo, MSc · University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

• Miek Hornickx, PT · University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-01-31

Primary Completion

2015-08-31

Completion

2015-11-30

Countries

• Belgium
• Brazil

Study Locations