## 4 Discussion  
This study was designed with the objective of thoroughly describing the association between sedentary behavior and various clinical aspects, including symptoms, physical functionality, and overall quality of life, in patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The analysis was conducted during three critical time points: the period of hospitalization, the moment of hospital discharge, and a follow-up conducted three months after discharge. Our findings indicated that at the time of hospital admission, those patients who exhibited sedentary behavior had significantly lower levels of physical functionality and reported a poorer quality of life compared to their more physically active counterparts. Furthermore, at the point of discharge from the hospital, there were notable and significant differences in favor of the active group, particularly with respect to their quality of life, suggesting that physical activity may have played a role in promoting better outcomes during their recovery process. By the time of the three-month follow \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline  & **Sedentary Group** & **Active Group** & \\  & **(n = 46)** & **(n = 44)** & \(p\) \\ \hline Borg Dyspnea & \(-0.4\) (\(-2.0\)–\(1.1\)) & \(0.1\) (\(-0.1\)–\(0.3\)) & \(0.04\) * \\ NRS Fatigue & \(2.2\) (\(0.7\)–\(3.7\)) & \(3.0\) (\(6.0\)–\(0.0\)) * & \(0.393\) \\ \hline  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{EUROQOL 5D-5L} \\ \hline Mobility & \(-0.3\) (\(-0.8\)–\(0.2\)) & \(0.2\) (\(-0.3\)–\(0.8\)) & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Activity Daily Living & \(-0.5\) (\(-1.4\)–\(0.3\)) & \(1.1\) (\(0.6\)–\(1.7\)) ** & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Self-Care & \(-1.0\) (\(-1.6\)—\(0.4\)) * & \(0.3\) (\(-0.1\)–\(0.7\)) & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Pain & \(-0.1\) (\(-0.7\)–\(0.5\)) & \(0.1\) (\(-0.3\)–\(0.6\)) & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Anxiety/depression & \(0.0\) (\(-0.2\)–\(0.2\)) & \(-0.4\) (\(-0.8\)—\(0.05\)) * & \(0.456\) \\ VAS score & \(-3.9\) (\(-21.4\)–\(13.5\)) & \(-8.5\) (\(-16.6\)—\(0.4\)) * & \(<0.001\) ** \\ \hline  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{WHODAS 2.0} \\ \hline Cognition & \(3.4\) (\(2.4\)–\(4.3\)) ** & \(-1.5\) (\(-8.0\)–\(4.9\)) & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Mobility & \(-2.2\) (\(-4.4\)—\(0.02\)) * & \(2.5\) (\(1.8\)–\(3.2\)) ** & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Self-care & \(-3.0\) (\(-4.4\)—\(1.5\)) ** & \(1.1\) (\(0.4\)–\(1.8\)) * & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Relations & \(-0.5\) (\(-1.2\)–\(0.1\)) & \(0.6\) (\(-0.7\)–\(1.8\)) & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Activity Daily Living & \(6.2\) (\(8.8\)–\(3.5\)) ** & \(-2.8\) (\(-1.2\)—\(4.4\)) ** & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Participation & \(1.2\) (\(-1.7\)–\(4.2\)) & \(3.3\) (\(1.5\)–\(5.1\)) ** & \(<0.001\) ** \\ Total & \(-9.9\) (\(-19.9\)—\(0.0\)) * & \(9.3\) (\(-15.1\)) * & \(<0.001\) ** \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Symptomatology, functionality and quality of life changes, among and between groups, at 3 month follow-up. up assessment, it became evident that sedentary patients continued to experience worse clinical outcomes, including higher levels of dyspnea, greater physical limitations, and a lower overall quality of life compared to those who had maintained a more active lifestyle throughout the recovery period. These results highlight the potential importance of addressing sedentary behavior as a modifiable risk factor during and after hospitalization for CAP, as it may influence long-term recovery and overall well-being. The clinical characteristics of the individuals who participated in this study are consistent with the demographic and clinical profiles reported in the samples of previous research conducted on patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Specifically, the age, comorbid conditions, severity of illness at admission, and general health status of the participants closely resemble those described in earlier studies focusing on similar patient populations. This alignment suggests that the findings of our study are applicable and comparable to the existing literature, reinforcing the validity and relevance of our results within the broader context of CAP research [24].