Exercise as it relates to disease/Effects of physical activity on quality of life in children with asthma .

Tim Eslick 3080949

This wiki books page is an analysis of the 2006 journal article "Effects of physical activity on quality of life, exercise capacity and pulmonary function in children with asthma". From the Journal of rehabilitation medicine, Volume 38, Issue 2, pp. 130-135.

What is the background to his research?
Asthma is considered to be one of the most chronic sicknesses in children. As research has indicated that asthma in children often results in a decrease in physical activity (PA), it is evident that that this illness can cause detrimental effects on health of minors. Hence researching the effect of PA on asthma and quality of life (QoL) is important to understand the health and physiological benefits of PA on asthma.

Where is the research from?
A total of seven researchers played a part in producing this paper. The research was produced in association with the Department and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,  Department of Biostatistics, and Department of Paediatric Allergy-Immunology, in the facility of Medicine, out of Cukurova, in Adana, Turkey.

What kind of research was this?
There are both qualitative and quantitative elements within this research. The first aspect discussed, the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ, introduces qualitative data by evaluating activity limitations, symptoms, and emotional functions . Numeric data is discussed through evaluation of physical work capacity (PWC), performed on a cycle ergometer and via a six minute walk test (6MWT), and therefore quantitative research is also be discussed throughout this article.

Patients
This study involved sixty-two participants with a mean ages of 10.4 years that were classified as suffering from mild to moderate asthma. This was classified demanding on the symptoms displayed.

Comparative Data
Baseline assessments such as the physical assessments and spirometry tests (to assess lung function) were conducted to make comparisons against later in the research. Quantitative tests conducted to analyse work capacity included to PWC170 test and six minute walk test (6MWT), with the results from these testing normalised for comparison between participants.

Training Program
Participants were split into two groups. Group C (control) and Group E (exercise). Group E participants were to take part in maximal aerobic training sessions, three times per week, for eight weeks in the form of basketball training. These sessions generally consisted of a fifteen minute warm up, thirty to thirty-five minutes of training, and a ten minute cool down and flexibility session. Specific exercise was not encouraged for Group C, however a home based respiratory training program was implemented to both groups of participant.

Baseline Assessment
There were no significant differences between groups E and C in the baseline assessment apart from the symptoms score and the 6MWT. The symptoms score, and distance in the 6MWT proving significantly higher before the training program was implemented to both groups.

Participation
Not all of the participants completed the study for various reasons. Hence the final assessment at the end of the eight weeks program was conducted on only thirty participants from Group E, and twenty-eight for Group C.

PAQLQ
The results from the three elements in the PAQLQ (activity limitation, symptoms, and emotional function) all significantly improved in both groups. The significant effects of the interventions however were significantly higher in Group E. A change in symptoms score also correlated significantly with PAQLQ, with other variables including exercise capacity, pulmonary function, and duration of disease, and medication not significantly correlating to PAQLQ.

6MWT & PWC170
The distance covered in the 6MWT and the results from the PWC170 improved significantly in Group E, however no significant improvement shown in Group C.

Medication & Symptoms
Medication scores significantly improved in both groups. Significant improvement in symptom scores in Group E were evident in the final evaluation.

How did the researchers interpret the results?
The interpretation of these results indicate the researchers believe as a result of their intervention Group E participants improved their QoL and exercise capacity. However this also improved in the control group whereby participants completed a home based exercise program. The change in symptom score of the participants also significantly correlates to the PAQLQ, and hence the researchers suggest an improvement in health stutters for both groups.

6MWT
The effects of the intervention on pulmonary function and exercise capacity was also a key focus point in this research. However the current study suggested there is limited literature relevant for comparison for comparison against their participants and hence the importance of a significant increase of 26 meters in the 6MWT in groups E is stated as "unclear"

PWC170
Researchers suggest that improvements in VO2 max, reductions in asthma symptoms, and medication reduction resulted from the program implementation.

What conclusions should be taken away from this research?
The conclusions of this research suggest that a sub-maximal PA program (such as playing basketball) 2-3 times per week can drastically increase the physical fitness of children with asthma, decrease medication dependency, and also assist in the reductions of the symptoms of asthma resulting in improved QoL. The same can be said for specific exercises performed at home resulting in an improved QoL.

However as this was a relatively small study (a total of 58 participants) perhaps more testing can be conducted to further validate the findings of this particular research program.

What are the implications of this research?
Some implications resulting from this research may include, as an alternative to medications, prescribe PA and home based programs to reduce the effects of asthma. As stated earlier asthma sufferers tend to be less physically active, perhaps this research will also assist in increasing the PA in asthma patients, this may lead to reduction in risk factors for disease that correlate to inactivity.