Analysis of physical activity and comorbidities in Spanish asthmatics

The prevalence of comorbidities in asthmatics is high. Comorbidities may complicate the clinical management of asthma, increasing the risk for exacerbation and even death. The objective of the present research was to establish the prevalence of 31 asthma comorbidities and to assess the association of these comorbidities with physical activity (PA) in Spanish asthmatics. Data of the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 (cross-sectional design) were used in this study. A total of 1014 people (42.1% males) with asthma participated in this study (age range 15–69 years). The IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) short form was the instrument administered to evaluate PA (exposure), and the self-reported answer to the question “Have you ever been diagnosed with…?” determined the presence of comorbidities (outcomes). This association was assessed by multivariable logistic regression. Results demonstrated a huge presence of comorbidities (89.3%). The most prevalent were chronic allergy (61.1%), chronic lumbar pain (28.7%), chronic cervical pain (24.2%), high cholesterol (20.9%), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (19.4%), migraine (19.2%) and hypertension (19.3%). PA level under 600 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)·min/week showed a significant association with urinary incontinence (3.10 [1.62–5.94]), osteoporosis (1.90 [1.00–3.61]) and chronic anxiety (1.69 [1.13–2.53]). Therefore, comorbidities and PA levels should be considered in the prevention and treatment of asthmatics, in order to improve their quality of life.