Physical activity and health in Canadian asthmatics

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease affecting approximately 8% of the Canadian population. Being physically active may assist in management of the disease and lead to improvements in overall health. The purpose of this study was to determine whether involvement in physical activity (PA) influenced self-reported measures of health in asthmatics. The sample included 4272 asthmatic men and 6971 asthmatic women who participated in the Canadian Community Health Survey cycle 2.1. The median age for this group fell in the 40 - 44 age category. PA level was classified into three categories: active, moderately active, or inactive. In order to determine the relationship between PA levels and the five measures of health (self-perceived health, self-perceived mental health, additional chronic conditions, functional limitations, and satisfaction with life in general) Kruskal-Wallis ANOVAs were conducted and pairwise comparisons were used when significant main effects occurred. For all five measures of health, being physically active increased the likelihood of better health, and greater levels of PA were associated with higher values. In summary, PA was consistently associated with better health in Canadians with asthma. Future research is required to confirm a linear dose-response relationship between PA and health in asthmatics.