Effect of Physical Activity Program on the Quality of Life of Children with Cystic Fibrosis at School Age: A Randomized Clinical Trail

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease with a high mortality rate. The present study aimed to determine the effect of a physical activity program (PAP) on the life quality of children with CF at school age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study conducted on 70 children with CF, the samples were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. A demographic information questionnaire and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory were used for data collection. This study was conducted in three stages and 2 months after the last intervention. Finally, the data were analyzed in SPSS software version 22 using the Chi-square test, independent t-test, and paired t-test at a p-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: The results indicated that the two groups had no significant difference in terms of demographic variables before the intervention. Moreover, it was observed that the mean scores of life quality in the physical, emotional, social, and academic performance of children in both groups before the intervention in child and parent evaluations did not show significant differences. After the intervention in the experimental group, the mean scores of life quality in all aspects significantly increased, compared to those of the control group (P<0.001). Moreover, there were no significant differences between the mean scores of life quality in the control group before and after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Given the effectiveness of the intervention to enhance life quality, PAP is feasible and possible in the field of CF. It has to be noted that this method is an effective way to improve life quality.