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Children with asthma and physical exercise: effects of an exercise programme

A Vermeer

Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Hilversum, The Netherlands

J M Bogaard

Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Hospital Dijkzigt, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Hilversum, The Netherlands

M GP Hessels

Department of Methods and Statistics, Faculty of Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Hilversum, The Netherlands

L Wijnroks

Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Hilversum, The Netherlands

V T Colland

Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Hilversum, The Netherlands

E EM van Essen-Zandvliet

Heideheuvel Asthma Centre, Hilversum, The Netherlands

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a physical exercise programme for children with asthma on an outpatient basis.

Design: Intervention study: a randomized pretest–post-test control group design.

Setting and subjects: Forty-seven children with clinically diagnosed asthma participated in the intervention study, including 34 boys and 13 girls, from 8 to 13 years of age (mean age 10.6).

Interventions: The physical exercise programme consisted of regular group exercises and home exercises for a period of three months. It was based on a theoretical model describing the relationships between physical competence (condition), perceived physical competence, self-esteem and coping behaviour.

Main outcome measures: Maximum incremental exercise test, endurance test, the Self-Perception Profile for Children (CBSK), the Asthma Coping Test (ACBT), lung function and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Results: The results showed significant effects of the intervention programme on physical condition. There was a significant improvement of 15 W on the maximal workload (W_max) (p < 0.001), of 7% on V^O₂max (oxygen uptake) (p = 0.002) and a significant decrease on heart rate submaximal of 6% (p = 0.001). There was also a significant improvement of 50% in running time measured with the endurance test (p = 0.021). Furthermore, a significant effect of the intervention was seen on coping with asthma (p = 0.003).

Conclusion: It was concluded that participation in the physical exercise programme not only enhanced physical fitness, but also improved coping behaviour with asthma.

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