Healthy Teenagers and Adults: An Activity Intervention

Improved survival among children with congenital heart disease (CHD) has shifted focus to the best possible outcome in terms of the quality of life and functional status. Ability to exercise has emerged as an important measure. In recent years, the benefits of exercise training programs have begun to extrapolate to CHD, but few current published studies include education, activity counseling, or psychological intervention. A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at our center in Belfast to ascertain if motivational interviewing strategies, followed by an individualized, structured program of exercise training could be used to increase physical activity and improve psychological well-being in a group of adolescents with CHD. Findings suggested that the intervention increased perceptions about the importance of exercise and, importantly, the confidence and readiness to change. Behavioral outcomes included increased exercise capacity and daily exercise activity. To date the Belfast study remains unique in terms of exercise training intervention in CHD.