Association of physical inactivity and handgrip strength with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease

Abstract

<sec><title>BACKGROUND</title>Little is known about the level of physical activity (PA) among patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), the relationship between PA levels and NTM-PD, and the relationship between handgrip strength and NTM-PD.</sec><sec><title>METHODS</title>We conducted a case–control study comparing the PA levels and handgrip strength of patients with NTM-PD and controls. Patients with NTM-PD were prospectively enrolled at Severance Hospital, Seoul, whereas controls were selected at a 1:2 propensity score matching from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2014 and 2019. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate these relationships.</sec><sec><title>RESULTS</title>The total PA level in the NTM-PD group was lower than that in the control group (120.0 vs. 560.0 MET-min/week, P < 0.001). Physical inactivity was significantly associated with both NTM-PD (aOR 2.87, 95% CI 1.73–4.75) and severity of NTM-PD (aOR 3.82, 95% CI 1.61–9.05; cavity ≥1). Low handgrip strength was found to be associated with NTM-PD (aOR 2.14, 95% CI 1.14–4.02), but no significant association was observed with the severity of NTM-PD.</sec><sec><title>CONCLUSIONS</title>Physical inactivity was associated with both NTM-PD and NTM-PD severity, whereas low handgrip strength was associated with NTM-PD.</sec>