Londrina Activities of Daily Living Protocol: validity, reliability, minimal detectable change, and standard error of measurement in adults with asthma.

Introduction: Asthma symptoms are dyspnea, chronic cough, wheezing, chest tightness, or chest discomfort, which can directly limit the activities of daily living (ADL), which is frequently reported by adults with asthma. Evaluating ADL with a reliable protocol at the usual speed is necessary.

Objectives: To investigate the validity, reliability, minimal detectable change (MDC), and standard error of measurement (SEM) of the Londrina ADL Protocol (LAP) for adults with asthma.

Methods: Adults with asthma were evaluated with the LAP test. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to verify validity with the 6-min walk test (6MWT), Glittre-ADL test, and London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL). To test the reliability, the test was reapplied in at least 30 min; the Wilcoxon test and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), SEM, MDC, and learning effect were performed.

Results: Fifty-three individuals were included (26% men, 43 ± 15 years, BMI 28 ± 8 kg/m, FEV 70 ± 24%predicted). For convergent validity, the LAP test was correlated with the 6MWT, Glittre-ADL, and LCADL scale ( = -0.49, 0.71, and 0.30, respectively;  < 0.03). There was a difference in test-retest ( < 0.0001) and reliability analysis shows ICC of 0.94, SEM of 14.88 s (22%), and MDC of 41.23 s (15%). Furthermore, the individuals performed the second test with -23 ± 19 (7.9%) s.

Conclusion: The LAP test is valid and reliable for assessing limitations during ADL in adults with asthma. Considerable learning effect was observed, therefore, the best of two measures may avoid underestimation.