Abstract
PURPOSE: Lifestyle changes including daily physical activity (PA) slow the progression of coronary artery disease. This study evaluated the effects of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation education and counseling intervention on daily PA index, daily time spent in different PA intensities, and daily PA patterns.
METHODS: Thirty patients with history of recent myocardial infarction were recruited and equally divided into intervention (mean age = 67.2 +/- 5.4 years) and control (mean age = 69.8 +/- 6.14 years) groups. The intervention group received a home-based cardiac rehabilitation intervention program of education and counseling for 12 weeks, regarding cardiovascular risk factor management; benefits and risks of PA; frequency, intensity, duration, and type of PA; moments and activities of daily living to perform PA; effort control procedures during PA; and emergency procedures. During the same period, the control group received usual outpatient follow-up care. Physical activity was objectively measured during 3 consecutive weekdays, using the ActiGraph accelerometer (model GT1M, Fort Walton Beach, Florida), in 3 different moments (1st, 6th, and 12th weeks).
RESULTS: The intervention group significantly increased daily PA index (from 278.2 +/- 128.0 to 525.5 +/- 153.4 counts per minute per day, P < .05) and time spent in moderate-intensity PA (from 16.8 +/-12.6 to 63.7 +/- 23.3 minutes per day, P < .05) during the intervention period. No changes were observed in the control group.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients participating in the home-based intervention increased PA throughout the day; moreover, they performed enough moderate-intensity PA to meet heath-related recommendations.