"There's nothing I can't do--I just put my mind to anything and I can do it": a qualitative analysis of how children with chronic disease and their parents account for and manage physical activity.

Jennifer Fereday,Philip Darbyshire,Marianne Spizzo,Colin Macdougall,Wendy Schiller

doi:10.1186/1471-2431-9-1

Abstract

BackgroundThis paper reports the findings of a South Australian qualitative, exploratory study of children and young people living with a chronic disease, and their perceptions and experiences of physical activity. The perceptions and experiences of their parents were also explored. The chronic diseases were type 1 diabetes, asthma and cystic fibrosis.MethodsMultiple qualitative data collection techniques were used to elicit the children and young people's perspectives and experiences of physical activity, including focus groups, maps, photos and 'traffic light posters'. The children's parents were interviewed separately to ascertain their views of their child's participation in physical activities.ResultsChildren and young people described their active participation in a wide variety of physical activities including organised sports and play, but made very little mention of any negative influence or impact due to their disease. Their parents' stories described the diligent background planning and management undertaken to enable their child to participate in a wide range of physical activities.ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that for these children and young people, having a chronic disease was not perceived as a barrier to participation in organised sport and recreational activities. They were physically active and perceived themselves to be no different from their peers. Their positive beliefs were shared by their parents and the level of participation described was enabled by the high level of parental support and background planning involved in managing their child's health care needs.

Highlights

This paper reports the findings of a South Australian qualitative, exploratory study of children and young people living with a chronic disease, and their perceptions and experiences of physical activity
If lifetime physical activity and health patterns are established in childhood and healthy, active children seem more likely to become healthy active adults, it follows that children with type 1 diabetes, asthma or cystic fibrosis should benefit from regular physical activity as an essential part of their overall health care program [7,8]
The data from each child's or young person's maps, posters and interviews was closely linked and concurred, for the most part, with the data from parent interviews. Both groups demonstrated strong positive beliefs that participation in physical activity did not need to be hindered by a chronic disease

Summary

Introduction

This paper reports the findings of a South Australian qualitative, exploratory study of children and young people living with a chronic disease, and their perceptions and experiences of physical activity. The chronic diseases were type 1 diabetes, asthma and cystic fibrosis. If lifetime physical activity and health patterns are established in childhood and healthy, active children seem more likely to become healthy active adults, it follows that children with type 1 diabetes, asthma or cystic fibrosis should benefit from regular physical activity as an essential part of their overall health care program [7,8]. A Cochrane Collaboration Review [11] on physical training for cystic fibrosis reported inconsistency of study results in relation to efficacy, they concluded the anticipated benefits to lung function and feelings of self-esteem from engaging in physical activity were widely supported by health professionals who encourage exercise as part of an overall cystic fibrosis care package

Methods

Results

Conclusion