School of Sport & Exercise, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2013 Sep-Oct;33(5):292-6. doi: 10.1097/HCR.0b013e3182a0295c.
Cardiac rehabilitation can reduce overall anxiety. However, task-specific anxiety is yet to be investigated in the cardiac patient. This study investigates the effect of an outdoor walking intervention (WI) in alleviating the high degree of task-specific anxiety in cardiac patients.
Participants (N = 22, mean age ± SD = 62.0 ± 10.8 years, 9 women), who had experienced a cardiac event and exhibited a moderate to high level of anxiety for outdoor walking (anxiety score ≥ 7 on a modified version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), were initially assessed during an incremental shuttle walk test and a self-paced 1-mile walk. Heart rate and the ratings of perceived exertion were monitored during both tests. Participants also completed an exercise self-efficacy (ESE) questionnaire. Following this, participants were randomized to either a 3 sessions per week, 4 weeks, self-paced WI on a predetermined variable topographic course, or to a control group (CG; 30-minute stationary cycling, 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks). Identical assessments (Incremental Shuttle Walk Test, Self-Paced 1-Mile Walk, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, ESE) were used postintervention. The 2 groups were compared for anxiety, ESE, and fitness by analysis of variance.
The WI group exhibited a significantly greater decrease in task-specific anxiety (51%; P < .01), increased self-efficacy (6.6%; P < .001) and improved fitness (P < .05) in comparison with CG.
This study demonstrated that task familiarization reduced the task-specific anxiety associated with outdoor walking in cardiac patients and, as such, may help in changing exercise behavior patterns in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.
心脏康复可以降低整体焦虑水平。然而，心脏患者的特定任务焦虑尚未得到研究。本研究调查了户外步行干预（WI）对减轻心脏患者高度特定任务焦虑的影响。
参与者（N=22，平均年龄±标准差=62.0±10.8 岁，9 名女性）经历过心脏事件，且户外步行时表现出中度至高度焦虑（改良医院焦虑抑郁量表的焦虑评分≥7），最初在递增穿梭步行测试和自我计时 1 英里步行中进行评估。在这两项测试中监测心率和感知用力程度。参与者还完成了运动自我效能感（ESE）问卷。在此之后，参与者被随机分配到每周 3 次、4 周、自我计时的 WI，在预定的可变地形课程上，或分配到对照组（CG；每周 3 次、30 分钟固定自行车，持续 4 周）。在干预后使用相同的评估方法（递增穿梭步行测试、自我计时 1 英里步行、医院焦虑抑郁量表、ESE）。使用方差分析比较两组焦虑、ESE 和体能的变化。
WI 组在特定任务焦虑方面的下降幅度明显更大（51%；P<0.01），自我效能感提高（6.6%；P<0.001），体能提高（P<0.05），与 CG 相比。
本研究表明，任务熟悉度降低了心脏患者与户外步行相关的特定任务焦虑，从而有助于改变心脏康复患者的运动行为模式。
