Objective To compare daily physical activity of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) with healthy peers measured using wearables bracelets in a large cohort. Additionally, subjectively estimated and objectively measured physical activity was compared. Study design From September 2017 to May 2019, 162 children (11.8 AE 3.2 years; 60 girls) with various CHD participated in a self-estimated and wearable-based physical activity assessment. Step-count and moderate-tovigorous physical activity were recorded with the Garmin vivofit jr. for 7 consecutive days and compared with a reference cohort (RC) of 96 healthy children (10.9 AE 3.8 years; 49 girls). Results Children with CHD were active and 123 (75.9%) achieved 60 minutes physical activity on a weekly average according to the World Health Organization criteria as 81 (84.3%) of the healthy peers did (P = .217). After correction for age, sex, and seasonal effects, only slightly lower step count (CHD: 10 206 AE 3178 steps vs RC: 11 142 AE 3136 steps; P = .040) but no lower moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (CHD: 80.5 AE 25.6 minutes/ day vs RC: 81.5 AE 25.3 minutes/day; P = .767) occurred comparing CHD with RC. In children with CHD higher age (P = .004), overweight or obesity (P = .016), complex severity (P = .046), and total cavopulmonary connection (P = .027) were associated with not meeting World Health Organization criteria. Subjective estimation of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was fairly correct in half of all children with CHD. Conclusions Even though the majority is sufficiently active, physical activity needs to be promoted in overweight or obese patients, patients with complex CHD severity, and in particular in those with total cavopulmonary connection.

No abstract

HrQoL perception has increased throughout the past 10 years and worsens with increasing age. Moreover, the parent's proxy-report of the KINDL-R questionnaire is a good supplementary method to provide additional information regarding to children's HrQoL.

Aims There has been a growing interest in the use of markers of aerobic physical fitness (VO2max assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET)) in the follow-up of paediatric chronic diseases. The dissemination of CPET in paediatrics requires valid paediatric VO2max reference values to define the upper and lower normal limits. This study aimed to establish VO2max reference Z-scores values, from a large cohort of children representative of the contemporary paediatric population, including those with extreme weights. Methods and results In this cross-sectional study, 909 children aged 5 to 18-years-old from the general French population (development cohort), and 232 children from the general German and US populations (validation cohort) underwent a CPET, following the guidelines on high-quality CPET assessment. Linear, quadratic, and polynomial mathematical regression equations were applied to identify the best VO2max Z-score model. Predicted and observed VO2max values using the VO2maxZ-score model, and the existing linear equations were compared, in both development and validation cohorts. For both sexes, the mathematical model using natural logarithms of VO2max, height, and BMI was the best fit for the data. This Z-score model could be applied to normal and extreme weights and was more reliable than the existing linear equations, in both internal and external validity analyses (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.d2l.zscore). Conclusion This study established reference Z-score values for paediatric cycloergometer VO2max using a logarithmic function of VO2max, height and BMI, applicable to normal and extreme weights. Providing Z-scores to assess aerobic fitness in the paediatric population should be useful in the follow-up of children with chronic diseases.