Web-based Motor Intervention to Increase Health Related Physical Fitness in Children With Congenital Heart Disease

Web-based Motor Intervention to Increase Health Related Physical Fitness in Children With Congenital Heart Disease

Children with congenital heart diseases (CHD) often show reduced health related physical fitness as well as limitations in gross and fine motor skills/development. Intervention programs in childhood are still rare and often focus just on the improvement of cardiac outcomes or exercise capacity. Web-based interventions, as a useful alternative to training manuals or supervised training, are cost effective and allow a customization of training times. Primary purpose of this study is to improve health related physical fitness in children with congenital heart disease.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ages 10-18 years old.
• CHD with moderate to complex severity according to the ACC criteria.
• Health-related physical fitness <50th percentile (healthy reference).
• German speaking.
• internet availability and an internet-capable device to use the intervention app
• Informed consent of parent/guardian as well as of the child.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe Arrhythmias
• Severe Left Heart Failure
• Chromosomal anomalies and/or genetic syndromes.
• Severe physical and/or sensory impairments (hearing, visual, or psychomotor).
• Elective cardiac intervention within the next 6 months following enrollment.