Does personality predict physical activity and sedentary behaviors after pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases ?

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Adopting an active lifestyle, including regular physical activity (PA) and few sedentary behaviors (SB) is a vital issue for patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD). Helping patients to evolve toward salutogenic behaviors is one of the main objectives of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Unfortunately, PR effects on behavior change are marked by a strong heterogeneity. Previously, robust associations were identified between personality, defined by the 5-Factor Model, PA and SB<b>¹</b>. However, these relations have received little attention in the context of CRD. In order to better understand which factors are involved in behavior change, we examined the associations between personality traits and the evolution of PA and SB 6-months after PR in CRD patients. <b>Methods:</b> 85 CRD patients admitted for a 5-week PR were assessed on personality at PR admission (T1). PA and SB were measured at T1 and 6-months after PR using questionnaires. <b>Results:</b> Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher neuroticism (tendency to experience distress), when paired with lower conscientiousness (tendency to be impulsive), is related with an increase of SB 6-months after PR (β=-.21;p&lt;.01), independently of the severity of the disease. <b>Discussion:</b> This study highlights that investigating personality traits is relevant to better understand the evolution of SB after PR. As such, personality could constitute a new psychological factor that could be targeted to improve the behavioral effects of PR. 1. Sutin et al., (2016). The five-factor model of personality and physical inactivity:A meta-analysis of 16 samples. <i>Journal of research in&nbsp;personality,</i>&nbsp;63, 22-28