In-Clinic Activity Promotion for Children With Congenital Heart Disease: Randomized Clinical Trial.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Cardiology
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) require effective strategies to promote physical activity.
• Current clinical practice often falls short of recommended physical activity promotion for pediatric CHD patients.
• There is a need for feasible interventions that clinicians can integrate into routine care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a brief, in-clinic physical activity counseling intervention for children with moderate to severe CHD.
• To assess the impact of the intervention on daily physical activity levels over a 6-month period.
• To determine the healthcare system impacts, including clinician compliance and patient perceptions.

Main Methods:

• A pragmatic, single-blind, multicenter randomized clinical trial involving 155 children (aged 5-17 years) with CHD.
• Intervention group received standardized counseling and kinesiologist support during clinic visits.
• Primary outcome: daily steps measured by pedometer over 6 months; secondary outcomes: counseling rates, visit length, perceptions, referrals.

Main Results:

• Intervention participants maintained daily activity above 12,000 steps, while control group activity declined significantly by month 5.
• Highly active participants at baseline maintained their activity levels in both groups.
• The intervention was feasible, with 97% of participants counseled and no increase in clinic visit duration.

Conclusions:

• A brief, standardized in-clinic counseling intervention with kinesiology support effectively increased and maintained physical activity in children with CHD.
• The intervention is feasible for clinicians, enabling compliance with recommended activity promotion guidelines.
• This approach supports children with CHD in achieving recommended daily physical activity levels.