Participants
Participants were recruited from the university-based center
by flyers advertizing the study. Patients were eligible for
participation if they had stable COPD, that is, no change in
medication and symptoms (i.e. dyspnea, volume, or color of
sputum) for at least 4 weeks before screening; were 40 years
of age or older and had a forced expiratory volume in 1 s
(FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio of less than 0.70. No
participant had previously been involved in pulmonary
rehabilitation or had lived in a long-term care facility.
Everyone understood, read, and wrote French. Exclusion
criteria included a previous diagnosis of asthma, oxygen
dependence, unstable and/or uncontrolled cardiac disease,
musculoskeletal problems precluding exercise training,
a terminal disease, dementia, or an uncontrolled psychiatric
illness.