Results From a National Survey of Asthma Provider Beliefs and Practices Regarding Exercise and Asthma: A Work Group Report of the AAAAI Committee on Sports, Exercise, and Fitness

Abstract

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend regular physical activity (PA) for patients with asthma. Health care provider (HCP) counseling represents an effective approach to optimizing patient PA. However, current exercise rates among asthma patients are suboptimal, which suggests that counseling may be improved. To understand PA counseling behaviors among HCPs who manage asthma. A voluntary 36-item survey assessing self-reported awareness of PA recommendations and current clinical practices was sent to 979 randomly selected HCP members of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). The overall response rate was 9.3% (91 of 979). Respondents were physicians (100%) and allergists/immunologists (96%) who reported an average of 18.1 ± 12.3 years in independent practice. Over half (58%) reported personally engaging in 150 min/wk or more of moderate to strenuous PA. Eighty percent of participants were unaware of specific PA guidelines for patients with asthma, yet 66% acknowledged evidence for improved asthma outcomes with moderate exercise. A large majority of respondents believed that patients with asthma (97%) and severe asthma (84%) should pursue exercise. Whereas 90% of respondents support incorporating exercise counseling into asthma care, only 69% regularly counsel asthma patients about PA. Barriers cited included limited time, lack of knowledge regarding how and where to refer patients for exercise, and other medical priorities. Potential facilitators of PA included increasing practitioner education and patient-directed posters in waiting areas. Health care providers recognized PA as an important component of asthma care but were often unaware of specific guidelines. Promoting PA counseling may require using a time-efficient approach to implement counseling at each asthma patient encounter.