The following is a summary of “Fatigue and Physical Activity Patterns in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease,” published in the November 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Bevers, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to compare pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who experience fatigue to those who do not, exploring biological and functional aspects. Key parameters, including disease-specific quality of life, inflammation markers, hemoglobin levels, and physical activity, were assessed to provide a holistic understanding of fatigue in pediatric IBD.

Conducting a cross-sectional study involving 104 pediatric IBD patients with mild to moderately active disease, the criteria for identifying fatigue included a Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale z score <−2.0, while non-fatigued individuals had a z score ≥−2.0. Evaluation encompassed disease-specific quality of life (IMPACT-III score), C-reactive protein (CRP), fecal calprotectin (FC), hemoglobin z score (Hb z score), and physical activity tests like 6-minute walking distance z score (6MWD z score) and triaxial accelerometry (TA).

Fatigued participants (n = 24) exhibited significantly lower IMPACT-III scores than their non-fatigued counterparts (n = 80). No significant differences between the two groups were observed in Hb z scores, CRP, FC, or 6MWD z scores. Triaxial accelerometry, conducted in 71 patients, met wear time validation requirements only in 31 patients. Notably, fatigued patients spent a considerably shorter median time in moderate-to-vigorous activity than non-fatigued patients (18.3 vs. 37.3 minutes per day, P = 0.008).

While biological parameters failed to discern fatigue, triaxial accelerometry emerged as a potential discriminator, indicating a plausible association. The finding suggested a promising target for interventions to mitigate fatigue and enhance the overall quality of life in pediatric IBD patients.

Source: journals.lww.com/jpgn/abstract/2023/11000/fatigue_and_physical_activity_patterns_in_children.12.aspx