[EXERCISE CAPACITY AND AEROBIC PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS BY A QUESTIONNAIRE AND EXERCISE TESTS].

BACKGROUND: Physical exercise has been shown to improve lung condition or to slow deterioration in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and improves their quality of life. This study analyzes the physical exercise capacity and the level of aerobic fitness of adolescents and adults with CF who are patients at the CF Center at Hadassah Medical Center Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, Israel. OBJECTIVES: To assess physical exercise capacity and aerobic capacity levels among CF patients by a physical activity questionnaire in comparison to assessment by exercise tests. METHODS: The participants completed a physical activity questionnaire, performed the "6 minute walk test" and a cardio-pulmonary test on a treadmill. RESULTS: The study group included 36 patients, ages 12-43 years, who completed a physical activity questionnaire. Most patients (92%) reported engaging in physical exercise. Most of those who exercised (61%) did so at a low intensity, as described in CF research literature. The average weekly exercise time was 177 minutes; 35 patients completed a cardio-pulmonary exercise test and a "6 minute walk test". The cardio-pulmonary exercise tests showed that 34% of the participants had 'good to excellent' aerobic fitness, 26% had 'moderate' aerobic fitness and 40% had "poor to very poor" fitness. Males achieved significantly higher maximal oxygen uptake than females, even when there were no differences in the severity of disease. Similar to the differences in the general population, these differences showed that male patients had higher aerobic fitness and exercise capacities than female CF patients. A significant correlation was found between self-reported exercise time and exercise intensity in the questionnaire and maximal oxygen uptake in the cardio-pulmonary test (r = 0.5, P < 0.01). The physical activity questionnaire had 85% sensitivity for the identification of patients with low aerobic exercise capacity and specificity of only 50%. CONCLUSION: The physical activity questionnaire showed a good correlation with the exercise tests results. This questionnaire should be used as a health promotion tool to adapt exercise programs for each patient.