Asthma (Diagnosis)
Conditions
Keywords
Virtual Reality, Asthma, Aerobic Exercise, Pediatric Pulmonology, Exercise Training, Treadmill
Brief summary
This study aims to compare the effects of virtual reality-based aerobic exercise and treadmill-based aerobic exercise on functional capacity, pulmonary function, and clinical outcomes in children with asthma. Participants aged 10-17 years with physician-diagnosed asthma will be randomly assigned to either a virtual reality-based exercise group or a treadmill exercise group. Both groups will undergo supervised exercise training sessions twice a week for 8 weeks. Primary outcome will be the 6-Minute Walk Test. Secondary outcomes include pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, asthma control, quality of life, and exercise adherence.
Detailed description
Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases in childhood and is associated with reduced physical activity, decreased functional capacity, and impaired quality of life. Regular aerobic exercise is recommended as part of asthma management; however, participation in exercise programs is often limited due to fear of symptom exacerbation and low motivation. Virtual reality-based exercise programs have emerged as a novel approach to increase motivation and adherence in pediatric populations by integrating gamification into physical activity. Despite growing interest, there is limited evidence comparing virtual reality-based aerobic exercise with conventional aerobic exercise in children with asthma. This prospective randomized controlled study will include children aged 10-17 years diagnosed with asthma. Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: a virtual reality-based aerobic exercise group and a treadmill-based exercise group. Both groups will receive standardized asthma education prior to the intervention. The intervention will consist of 40-minute sessions (5-minute warm-up, 30-minute main exercise, and 5-minute cool-down), performed twice weekly for 8 weeks. Functional capacity, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, asthma control, and quality of life will be assessed before and after the intervention. This study aims to evaluate whether virtual reality-based aerobic exercise can be an effective and engaging alternative to traditional aerobic exercise in pediatric asthma rehabilitation.
Interventions
Participants will perform supervised moderate-intensity aerobic exercise using a Meta Quest 3S virtual reality headset and game-based activities. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up period, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and a 5-minute cool-down period. Sessions will be conducted twice weekly for 8 week
BEHAVIORALTreadmill-Based Aerobic Exercise
Participants will perform supervised moderate-intensity treadmill-based aerobic exercise. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up period, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and a 5-minute cool-down period. Sessions will be conducted twice weekly for 8 weeks.
Sponsors
Bezmialem Vakif University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Due to the nature of the exercise interventions, participants, care providers, and investigators cannot be blinded. However, outcome assessments will be performed by an independent assessor blinded to group allocation.
Intervention model description
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups: a virtual reality-based aerobic exercise group or a treadmill-based aerobic exercise group. Both groups will receive supervised exercise sessions twice weekly for 8 weeks and will undergo pre- and post-intervention assessments.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
10 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Children and adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years * Physician-diagnosed asthma according to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria * Stable medical treatment for asthma * Ability to participate in an aerobic exercise program * Willingness of the participant and parent/legal guardian to provide informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Presence of orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or systemic conditions limiting participation in exercise * Contraindications to virtual reality use (e.g., epilepsy, photosensitivity) * Participation in a structured exercise program within the previous month * Asthma exacerbation within the previous month * Obesity diagnosis
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Functional Capacity: 6-Minute Walk Test Distance | Baseline and Week 8 | Functional capacity assessed by the 6-Minute Walk Test. The total distance covered during the test will be recorded in meters. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1) | Baseline and Week 8 | Pulmonary function assessed by forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), expressed as percentage of predicted value. |
| Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) | Baseline and Week 8 | Pulmonary function assessed by forced vital capacity (FVC), expressed as percentage of predicted value. |
| FEV1/FVC Ratio | Baseline and Week 8 | Pulmonary function assessed by FEV1/FVC ratio, expressed as percentage of predicted value or ratio (%). |
| Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) | Baseline and Week 8 | Pulmonary function assessed by peak expiratory flow (PEF), expressed as percentage of predicted value. |
| Forced Expiratory Flow at 25-75% (FEF25-75) | Baseline and Week 8 | Pulmonary function assessed by forced expiratory flow at 25-75% (FEF25-75), expressed as percentage of predicted value. |
| Maximum Expiratory Pressure (MEP) | Baseline and Week 8 | Respiratory muscle strength assessed using maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), expressed in cmH₂O. |
| Maximum Inspiratory Pressure (MIP) | Baseline and Week 8 | Respiratory muscle strength assessed using maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), expressed in cmH₂O. |
| Asthma Control Test (ACT) Score | Baseline and Week 8 | Asthma control assessed using the Asthma Control Test (ACT). The ACT score ranges from 5 to 25, with higher scores indicating better asthma control. Scores of 20-25 indicate well-controlled asthma, 16-19 indicate partially controlled asthma, and 5-15 indicate uncontrolled asthma. |
| Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) Score | Baseline and Week 8 | Quality of life assessed using the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ). The questionnaire consists of 23 items across three domains: symptoms (10 items), emotional function (8 items), and activity limitation (5 items). Each item is scored on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (severe impairment/limitation) to 7 (no impairment/limitation), with higher scores indicating better quality of life. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
CONTACTAyşe Sena Manzak Dursun, PT, PhD
Outcome results
None listed