Experiences of exercise in patients with asthma: a qualitative analysis of discussions in a UK asthma online community

Article Figures & Data

Table 1. Sample characteristics of the Asthma UK community participants and posts

Sample characteristics	n	Median (range)	Mean (SD)
Number of unique usernames or names ^a	92
Participant age, years (n = 9 posts stating age)		52 (26–73)	49.7 (15.2)
Sex
Male	11
Female	33
Not stated	48
Total number of posts	143
Number of posts mentioning asthma medication used and type
Preventer and reliever inhalers	39
Reliever inhaler only	8
Leukotriene antagonists	4
Oral steroids	11
Monoclonal antibody injections	2
Not stated	79

Table 2. Themes and sub-themes emerging from posts, divided into barriers, facilitators, and strategies

Barriers	Facilitators	Strategies
Experiencing physical symptoms during and after exercise Lack of information on exercising in asthma: How to participate in exercise with asthma safely How to use inhalers with exercise to prevent asthma attacks External barriers For example, cold weather and stress in private life Emotional barriers For example, fear of physical symptoms, hospital admissions, and asthma attacks Embarrassment when exhibiting asthma symptoms during exercise — confused with lack of fitness Distrust of doctors caring for their asthma Unclear medical advice about exercising	Experiencing positive psychological effects of exercise Experiencing improvement of asthma symptoms with exercise Healthcare professional involvement Regular input from a healthcare professional to adjust asthma medications Healthcare professional involvement in explaining how to exercise Positive reinforcement from a healthcare professional	Use of reliever inhalers before exercise Increase use of preventer inhalers Starting exercise slowly Warming up before exercise Finding specific exercises that one enjoys