Anxiety Predicts Worse Cardiorespiratory Fitness Outcomes… : Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention
rparts with higher SES. Improvement in CRF during CR predicts better long-term health outcomes. Research suggests that higher anxiety impairs CRF in structured exercise regimes and is overrepresented among patients with lower SES. However, no study has determined whether this relationship holds true in CR. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial to improve CR attendance among patients with lower SES. Anxiety (ASEBA ASR; Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, Adult Self Report) and CRF measures (metabolic equivalent tasks [METspeak]) were collected prior to CR enrollment and 4 mo later. Regression was used to examine the association of anxiety with CRF at 4 mo while controlling for other demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: Eight-eight participants were included in the analyses, 31% of whom had clinically significant levels of anxiety (T≥ 63). Higher anxiety significantly predicted lower exit CRF when controlling for baseline