ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICAL FITNESS WITH FUNCTIONAL ABILITY IN CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS (JIA).

Abstract

A link between a low physical fitness and a low functional ability has often been suggested in pediatric chronic diseased patients. However, little data exist to confirm this relationship linking physical fitness and functional ability in children with JIA. PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between aerobic and anaerobic physical fitness and functional ability in children with JIA. METHODS: Twenty three children with JIA (age 6 to 14 yr, 6 male/17 female; 11 Oligoarticular JIA/10 Polyarticular JIA/2 Systemic JIA patients) participated in this study. They performed a maximal bicycle exercise test (MXT) to volitional exhaustion and a Wingate anaerobic test (WaNT) on a Lode Examiner bicycle ergometer to assess aerobic and anaerobic physical fitness (mean ± SD VO2peak: 1.14 ± 0.34 L. min-1; relative VO2peak 32.2 ± 7.9 ml/min/kg; WaNT Peak Power 316.4 ± 148.8 Watt; Mean Power WaNT 195.7 ± 73.5 Watt). Functional Ability was assessed using the validated Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ; score 0 = best, 3 = worst). RESULTS: CHAQ scores ranged from 0.2 to 2.25. Spearman correlations between CHAQ and physical fitness were CHAQ-Absolute VO2peak r = −0.086; CHAQ-Relative VO2peak r = −0.182; CHAQ-Peak Power WaNT r = −0.514*; CHAQ-Mean Power WaNT r = −0.508* (* p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A strong relationship between functional ability and anaerobic physical fitness was observed. There was no relationship between functional ability and aerobic physical fitness. This results suggests that anaerobic physical fitness is an important determinant of functional ability in children with JIA.