Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T16:34:42.390Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A survey of exercise advice and recommendations in United Kingdom paediatric cardiac clinics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2017

Craig A. Williams Open the ORCID record for Craig A. Williams [Opens in a new window] ,
Lucy Gowing ,
Richard Horn  and
Alan Graham Stuart
Craig A. Williams*
Affiliation:
Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
Lucy Gowing
Affiliation:
Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
Richard Horn
Affiliation:
Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
Alan Graham Stuart
Affiliation:
Congenital Heart Unit, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children/Bristol Heart Institute, Bristol, United Kingdom
*
Correspondence to: Professor C. A. Williams, Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke’s Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1392 724890; Fax: +44 (0) 1392 724726; E-mail: c.a.williams@exeter.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Physical activity and exercise have important health benefits for children and adolescents with CHD. The objective of this study was to survey the provision of advice and recommendations in United Kingdom paediatric CHD clinics.

Methods

A three-page questionnaire was sent out to paediatric cardiac consultants in the United Kingdom, paediatric consultants with expertise in cardiology, and nursing staff (Paediatricians with Expertise in Cardiology Special Interest Group), as well as all members of the British Congenital Cardiovascular Association. The aim of this questionnaire was to determine the extent and scope of current information provision and to assess the importance that clinicians place on this advice.

Results

There were 68 responses in total, and the data showed that, of these, 24 (36%) clinicians had never provided paediatric CHD patients with written advice about exercise. Only 27 (39%) clinicians provided physical activity advice at every appointment. Lack of time during consultation (n=39, 56.9%), lack of training (n=38, 55.2%), and uncertainty about appropriate recommendations (n=38, 55.2%) were identified as the main factors preventing clinicians from providing patients with advice about physical activity.

Conclusion

Although healthcare providers consider physical activity to be very important, the provision of clear, specific advice and recommendations is underutilised; therefore, more education and provision of resources to support the promotion of exercise need to be provided to clinicians and their support teams.

Keywords

Exercise promotion and prescriptionclinical educationphysical activityCHDadolescents
Type
Original Articles
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , July 2017 , pp. 951 - 956
Check for updates
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Takken, T, Giardini, A, Reybrouck, T, et al. Recommendations for physical activity, recreation sport, and exercise training in paediatric patients with congenital heart disease: a report from the Exercise, Basic & Translational Research Section of the European Association. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2012; 19: 1034–1065.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Pieles, GE, Horn, R, Williams, CA, et al. Paediatric exercise training in prevention and treatment. Arch Dis Child 2013; 99: 380–385.Google Scholar
3. Falk, B, Bar-Mar, G, Zigel, L, et al. Daily physical activity and perception of condition severity among male and female adolescents with congenital heart malformation. J Pediatr Nurs 2006; 21: 244–249.Google Scholar
4. Kendall, L, Parsons, J, Sloper, P, et al. A simple screening method for determining knowledge of the appropriate levels of activity and risk behaviour in young people with congenital heart conditions. Cardiol Young 2007; 17: 151–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Moola, F, McCrindle, B, Longmuir, P. Physical activity participation in youth with surgically corrected congenital heart disease: devising guidelines so Johnny can participate. Paediatr Child Health 2009; 14: 167–170.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Swan, L, Hills, W. Exercise prescription in adults with congenital heart disease: a long way to go. Cardiovasc Med 2000; 83: 685–687.Google Scholar
7. Longmuir, P, McCrindle, B. Physical activity restrictions for children after the Fontan operation: disagreement between parent, cardiologist, and medical record reports. Am Heart J 2009; 157: 853–859.Google Scholar
8. Longmuir, P, Brothers, J, deFerranti, S, et al. Promotion of physical activity for children and adults with congenital heart disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2013; 127: 2147–2159.Google Scholar
9. Swinburn, B, Walter, L, Arroll, B. Green prescription: attitudes and prescriptions of general practitioners towards prescribing exercise. Br J Gen Pract 1997; 47: 567–569.Google Scholar
10. Caplan, R, Allen, P. Physical activity recommendations for adolescents with repaired tetralogy of Fallot: review of the literature and guidelines for practitioners. Pediatr Nurs 2011; 37: 191–199.Google Scholar
11. Swinburn, B, Walter, L, Arroll, B, et al. The green prescription study: a randomized controlled trial of written exercise advise provided by general practitioners. Am J Public Health 1998; 88: 288–291.Google Scholar
12. Tong, E, Sparacino, P, Messias, D, et al. Growing up with congenital heart disease: the dilemmas of adolescents and young adults. Cardiol Young 1998; 8: 304–309.Google Scholar
13. Cavill, N, Biddle, S, Sallis, J. Health enhancing physical activity for young people: Statement of the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Conference. Paediatr Exerc Sci 2001; 13: 12–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Moons, P, Bovijn, L, Budts, W, et al. Temporal trends in survival to adulthood among patients born with congenital heart disease from 1970 to 1992 in Belgium. Circulation 2010; 22: 2264–2272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Moons, P, Pinxten, S, Dedroog, D, et al. Expectations and experiences of adolescents with congenital heart disease on being transferred from pediatric cardiology to an adult congenital heart disease program. J Adolesc Health 2009; 44: 316–322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Budts, W, Börjesson, M, Chessa, M, et al. Physical activity in adolescents and adults with congenital heart defects; individualized exercise prescription. Eur Heart J 2013; 34: 3669–3674.Google Scholar
17. Suchman, E, McCandless, B. Who answers questionnaires? J Appl Psychol 1940; 24: 758–769.Google Scholar
18. Jackson, BE. Response bias in a mail survey. Public Opin Quart 1946; 10: 234–241.Google Scholar
19. Larson, R, Catton, W. Can the mail-back bias contribute to a study’s validity? Am Sociol Rev 1959; 24: 243–245.Google Scholar
20. Stevens, D, Oades, PJ, Armstrong, N, et al. A survey of exercise testing and training in UK cystic fibrosis clinics. J Cyst Fibros 2010; 9: 302–306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Baruch, Y. Survey response rate levels and trends in organizational research. Hum Relat 2008; 61: 1139–1160.Google Scholar