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Carrying on with Living: The Impact of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on the Health Behaviour of Older Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Introduction: This study explored the health behaviour of older adults with COPD.
Objectives included: 1) to explore the process of successfully managing COPD; 2) to
identify health behaviour strategies utilized; 3) to identify factors influencing health
behaviour change; 4) to understand the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Methods:
Eleven community-dwelling older adults were interviewed following PR. Interviews were
coded and analyzed using constant comparative analysis, comparing and contrasting
incoming data with emerging theory. Findings: Two distinct models were developed
representing participants’ experience with COPD and health behaviour change: Struggling
with Living: Life with COPD before Pulmonary Rehabilitation; and Carrying on with
Living: Life with COPD following Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Conclusions: Older adults
with COPD engaged in a limited repertoire of health behaviour strategies which were
relatively ineffectual prior to participation in PR. PR had a major impact on health behaviour
strategies, and on the external and personal factors influencing health behaviour.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/24623
Date27 July 2010
CreatorsPrice, Shirley
ContributorsCott, Cheryl
Source SetsUniversity of Toronto
Languageen_ca
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis

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