Pilot Study of Changing Exercise and Physical Activity Behavior in Asthma Patients

The goals of this pilot study are to empirically test different interventional approaches to induce positive affect and self-affirmation. At the start of the study all patients in conjunction with their physicians will select a program of mild to moderate physical activity or exercise to be adopted and maintained on a routine basis. Patients also will complete the Paffenbarger Physical Activity and Exercise Index. Patients then will be divided into four groups according to the intervention they receive: 1) positive affect; 2) self-affirmation; 3) positive affect and self-affirmation; 4) control. The main outcome is the change in the Paffenbarger Physical Activity and Exercise Index scores from enrollment to 4 weeks.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients will be eligible for this study if their physicians consider them medically able to participate, if they are 18 years of age or older, and if they have a diagnosis of mild to moderate asthma based on the NHLBI Asthma Expert Panel's classification system which rates symptoms, frequency of exacerbations, nocturnal attacks, activity restriction, use of medications, and pulmonary function.

Exclusion criteria

Patients will be excluded from this study for the following reasons:

• If they are unable to walk several blocks for whatever reason;
• If they have musculoskeletal or neurological deficits that preclude increased physical activity;
• If they have other pulmonary diseases;
• If they have cardiac disease or other severe comorbidity;
• If they are unable to provide informed consent because of cognitive deficits;
• If they refuse to participate.