The following is a summary of “Physical Training and Healthy Diet Improved Bowel Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Fatigue in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease,” published in the August 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Scheffers, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to evaluate the effects of a 12-week lifestyle intervention, including physical training sessions and personalized healthy dietary advice, on various parameters in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The study utilized a randomized semi-crossover controlled trial design to investigate the 12-week lifestyle program in children with IBD. The intervention included three physical training sessions per week and personalized healthy dietary advice. The endpoints assessed were clinical disease activity (measured by fecal calprotectin and disease activity scores), physical fitness (maximal and submaximal exercise capacity, strength, and core stability), patient-reported outcomes (quality of life, fatigue, and exercise-related fears), nutritional status (energy balance and body composition), and disease activity. The primary endpoint was the change in maximal exercise capacity (peak VO₂), while all other endpoints were considered secondary.

About 15 patients with IBD (median age 15 [IQR: 12–16]) successfully completed the 12-week lifestyle program. At baseline, peak VO₂ was found to be reduced (median 73.3% [58.8–100.9] of predicted). After the 12-week program, compared to the control period, peak VO₂ did not show significant changes. However, exercise capacity measured by the 6-minute walking test and core stability did show significant improvements. Furthermore, while the medical treatment remained unchanged, the Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index significantly decreased compared to the control period (15 [3–25] vs. 2.5 [0–5], P = 0.012), and fecal calprotectin also decreased significantly, though not compared to the control period. Quality of life, as measured by IMPACT-III, improved on four out of six domains and showed an overall score improvement of +13 points compared to the control period. Additionally, parents-reported quality of life on the child health questionnaire and the total fatigue score on the PedsQoL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale also improved significantly compared to the control period.

The 12-week lifestyle intervention improved bowel symptoms, quality of life, and fatigue in pediatric patients with IBD.

Source: journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2023/08000/Physical_Training_and_Healthy_Diet_Improved_Bowel.16.aspx