Effects of an intensive-period inpatient rehabilitation programme on the perceived physical self in moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Daily functioning of dyspnea, self-esteem and physical self in patients with moderate COPD before, during and after a first inpatient rehabilitation program

PURPOSE

Inpatient rehabilitation improves dyspnea and increases self-esteem between admission and discharge in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some researchers nevertheless argue that the changes may be due to nursing effects and thus that scores will decrease quickly at home after discharge. This study assessed the change in dyspnea, self-esteem and physical self mean scores and stability in patients with moderate COPD during three consecutive four-week periods: at home, during an inpatient rehabilitation program, and again at home post-discharge.

METHODS

Twenty-three consecutive patients [63.9 years (SD 6.6)] with moderate COPD [FEV1 = 55.8% (SD 13.2)] were included. The participants responded to the Physical Self Inventory and rated dyspnea using a visual analogue scale twice a day. Exercise tolerance was assessed with the six-minute walk test (6MWT) at admission and discharge.

RESULTS

6MWT performance improved between admission and discharge [452.3 m. (SD 74.0) vs. 503.3 m. (SD 80.4), p < 0.001]. Dyspnea ratings improved (p < 0.001), as did the self-esteem and physical self scores between the two home periods (p < 0.001). The group showed less instability (SD and range) in their assessments of physical self-worth at home post-discharge compared to pre-admission (p < 0.01). Before rehabilitation, the correlation coefficients between dyspnea, and self-esteem, the perceptions of physical condition and attractive body were all significant. After rehabilitation, the coefficients between dyspnea, and perceived physical condition, physical strength and sport competence were significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that a first rehabilitation program increases the mean physical self scores in patients with moderate COPD and decreases their instability; the program also improves dyspnea. However, the impact of rehabilitation was greater on specific perceptions of physical abilities than on the global self-esteem. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these changes, which were probably due to rehabilitation program.

Intra-individual variability of self-esteem in adolescents with spina bifida

The purpose of this study was to explore intra-individual variability of global self-esteem and physical self-worth in adolescents with spina bifida (n = 3). Three adolescents were assessed in their schools by auto-evaluation over a period of 12 weeks (three times a week) with the Physical Self Inventory-6, a six-item questionnaire with a visual analogue scale. Statistical analyses included auto-correlation function (ACF) for studying the time series. Descriptive statistics demonstrated that in all the dimensions of physical self and global self-esteem, participants showed great variability over time. Auto-correlation function indicated 20 non-stationary and unstable time series, and four stationary time series. The non-stationary evolution of physical self, and global self-esteem in the three adolescents with spina bifida studied may explain the absence of consensus in the literature on the level of the self-perception. Future longitudinal research needs to be engaged.