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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
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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
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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