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Asthma: Program promotes behavior change, encourages physical activity and reduces symptoms
Based on motivational interviews and weekly goals, intervention encouraged people with moderate and severe asthma to engage in daily walks
The main asthma symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. The intervention aims to change the behavior of people with asthma so they become more physically active – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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An intervention based on motivational interviews, counseling, and incentives increased physical activity among people with moderate and severe asthma, according to researchers from the Hospital das Clínicas (HC) of the Medical School (FM) at USP. Participants followed a walking program, with weekly goals established in discussions with healthcare professionals, until reaching at least 7,500 steps per day, considered an ideal level for reducing disease symptoms.
The guidance changed the behavior of people with asthma toward a more physically active lifestyle, and the intervention also reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. The article describing the work received the ERS Congress Sponsorship award from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in September and was published in the scientific journal The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.
The main asthma symptoms are shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. “A previous study by our research group suggests that people who walk more than 7,500 steps per day have fewer asthma symptoms”, said physiotherapist Fabiano Francisco de Lima to Jornal da USP. He conducted the study at the Laboratory for Research in Physical Therapy and Exercise (Liffe) at HC. “Thus, increasing physical activity leads to this improvement”.
According to Lima, the intervention is called “behavioral” because its goal is to change the habits of people with asthma so that they become more physically active. “It is based on counseling and incentives to increase physical activity”, he said. “Motivational interviews, positive feedback, and guidance to overcome daily barriers were conducted”.
Fabiano Francisco de Lima – Photo: Lattes
Weekly goals
During the study, researchers used weekly goals to encourage participants to reach their objectives. “The program consisted of eight weekly in-person sessions, lasting up to 90 minutes”, explained the researcher. The interviews were conducted at Hospital das Clínicas (HC). “Each participant received a commercially available physical activity monitor (smartwatch), with an alarm that vibrated when the recommended daily step goal was reached”.
The research included 100 people with moderate and severe asthma, with an average age of 52, instructed to take daily walks that were gradually increased until reaching 7,500 steps. “The number of steps was monitored on the smartwatch by the patient themselves”, said Lima. “Participants had an individual daily step goal to be reached, which was adjusted weekly in conversations with each participant”.
After the intervention, which had a 96% adherence rate, participants increased their daily number of steps and engagement in more intense physical activities (brisk walking).
“There was an improvement in asthma symptoms, quality of life and a reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms. The intervention also changed the behavior of people with asthma toward a more physically active lifestyle”, said Fabiano Francisco de Lima.
The research included 100 people with moderate and severe asthma, with an average age of 52, instructed to take daily walks that were increased until reaching 7,500 steps – Photo: Marcos Santos/USP Images
According to the physiotherapist, the study results show that it is possible to help people with asthma increase physical activity levels, contributing to improved clinical control and quality of life. “Therefore, it is important that healthcare professionals recommend this practice”, he said. “The results also show that the profile that best responds to the behavioral intervention is people with asthma who walk less and have lower body weight,” he stated. For the future, the researchers are preparing a study on the main barriers faced by people with asthma in engaging in physical activity.
The research was conducted by Lima, a postdoctoral researcher, under the supervision of Celso Carvalho, a professor at USP. The work was funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
The article Characteristics of responders in a behavioral intervention to increase physical activity in asthma: a pragmatic study with one hundred individuals was presented at the ERS Congress, held in 2025 in the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
More information: fabiano_ffl@hotmail.com, with Fabiano Francisco de Lima
*Intern under the supervision of Moisés Dorado
English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco
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A reprodução de matérias e fotografias é livre mediante a citação do Jornal da USP e do autor. No caso dos arquivos de áudio, deverão constar dos créditos a Rádio USP e, em sendo explicitados, os autores. Para uso de arquivos de vídeo, esses créditos deverão mencionar a TV USP e, caso estejam explicitados, os autores. Fotos devem ser creditadas como USP Imagens e o nome do fotógrafo.