Evaluating pulmonary function, aerobic capacity, and pediatric quality of life following a 10-week aerobic exercise training in school-aged asthmatics: a randomized controlled trial

Walid K Abdelbasset; Saud F Alsubaie; Sayed A Tantawy; Tamer I Abo Elyazed; Dalia M Kamel

doi:10.2147/PPA.S159622

Evaluating pulmonary function, aerobic capacity, and pediatric quality of life following a 10-week aerobic exercise training in school-aged asthmatics: a randomized controlled trial

Patient Prefer Adherence. 2018 Jun 15:12:1015-1023. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S159622. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Walid K Abdelbasset^{1

2}, Saud F Alsubaie¹, Sayed A Tantawy³, Tamer I Abo Elyazed⁴, Dalia M Kamel^{3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy and Health Rehabilitation, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Physical Therapy, Kasr Al-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
³ Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medical and Health Sciences, Ahlia University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
⁴ Department of Physical Therapy for Internal Medicine, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
⁵ Department of Physiotherapy for Womens Health, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: It has been documented that aerobic exercise may increase pulmonary functions and aerobic capacity, but limited data has evaluated a child's satisfaction and pediatric quality of life (PQoL) with exercise training.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of moderate-intensity exercise training on asthmatic school-aged children.

Subjects and methods: This study included 38 school-aged children with asthma (23 males and 15 females) aged between 8-12 years. They were randomly assigned to two groups, aerobic exercise (AE) and conventional treatment (Con ttt) groups. The AE group received a program of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 10 weeks with asthma medications and the Con ttt group received only asthma medications without exercise intervention. A home respiratory exercise was recommended for the two groups. Aerobic capacity was investigated using maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and fatigue index. PQoL was evaluated using Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PQoLQ). Also, pulmonary function tests were performed, and the results recorded.

Results: The findings of this study showed significant improvements in pulmonary functions and VO_2max in the two groups; however, this improvement was significantly higher in the AE group than in the Con ttt group (p<0.05). The 6MWT and fatigue index improved in the AE group (p<0.05) but not in the Con ttt group (p>0.05). All dimensions of PQoL significantly improved in the AE group (p<0.05), but there was no significant improvement in the Con ttt group after the 10-week intervention period (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Ten weeks of physical exercise had beneficial effects on pulmonary functions, aerobic capacity, and PQoL in school-aged children with asthma. Effort and awareness should be dedicated to encouraging the active lifestyle among different populations, especially asthmatic children.

Keywords: asthma; exercise-induced bronchoconstriction; maximum oxygen uptake; moderate-intensity exercise; pediatrics.