| Abstract |
Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of different breathing methods —including general breathing, thoracic breathing, and diaphragmatic breathing—on the results of a pulmonary function test (PFT) for healthy subjects. Methods : Sixteen healthy subjects participated in this study, including nine adult male and seven female non-smokers. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) were measured. The subjects performed a PFT using their general breathing method, followed by a thoracic breathing and a diaphragmatic breathing method. Before measuring PFT using the thoracic breathing and diaphragmatic breathing methods, one hand was placed on the chest and the other on the abdomen, and subjects were familiarized with each breathing method for five minutes. The PFT sequence was performed in random order with five-minute breaks. Statistical analysis was performed on all subjects for three conditions using a one-way repeated ANOVA. Result : For the male subjects, the FVC and FEV1 values were significantly higher using the general breathing method than the thoracic breathing and diaphragmatic breathing methods. For the female subjects, the FVC and FEV1 values in the general breathing and thoracic breathing methods were significantly higher. The results for all subjects show that FVC, FEV1, and PEF values in the general breathing and thoracic breathing methods were significantly higher than those in the diaphragmatic breathing method. Conclusion : Based on the results, this study recommends that men and women are measured using general breathing or thoracic breathing for PFTs. |