Peer-reviewed article
Effects of fun games on respiratory function and compliance in children with pneumonia: a randomized controlled trial.
Chen Y, He X, Gong J, Wang Q, Chen T et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study tested whether fun games could help children recovering from pneumonia improve their breathing and stick with rehabilitation treatment. Children in the intervention group played games like 'Blow Out the Little Candle' and 'Rhythmic Breathing Run' for 8 weeks, while the control group received standard respiratory training. The game-based approach significantly improved lung function, walking distance, and children's willingness to complete treatment compared to standard training.
Key points
- 154 children recovering from pneumonia completed the trial, with 77 in each group
- After 8 weeks, the intervention group showed significantly better lung function (FEV1/FVC: 84.69 vs 74.43, P<0.001)
- The intervention group walked further in 6 minutes (593.63m vs 556.35m, P<0.001)
- Children in the game-based group showed better cooperation and treatment completion rates
- The approach is described as economical, feasible, and effective for pediatric pneumonia rehabilitation
Limitations
The study was conducted in a single tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China, so findings may not generalize to other settings or countries with different healthcare systems. The document does not provide information about long-term follow-up or sustained benefits after the intervention ended.
Abstract
Background Community-acquired pneumonia poses a significant threat to children's health. Traditional respiratory rehabilitation often suffers from poor adherence due to children's limited cognitive abilities. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a fun game-based intervention on respiratory function, exercise capacity, and rehabilitation compliance in children with pneumonia. Methods A single-center, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 170 children recovering from pneumonia and meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen and randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group. Ultimately, 154 participants (77 per group) completed the study. The control group received conventional respiratory training and health education. The intervention group participated in an 8-week fun game-based program, including respiratory training games (e.g., "Blow Out the Little Candle"), physical activity games (e.g., "Rhythmic Breathing Run"), along with interactive feedback mechanisms and personalized adjustments. Pulmonary function (FEV1/FVC ratio), exercise capacity (6-min walk distance, 6MWD), and rehabilitation compliance (Frankl and Houpt scale scores) were measured in both groups before and after the intervention. Results No statistically significant differences were found in baseline characteristics or outcome measures between the two groups before the intervention (P > 0.05). After the 8-week intervention, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in pulmonary function (FEV1/FVC: 84.69 ± 2.34 vs. 74.43 ± 2.27, P < 0.001) and exercise capacity (6MWD: 593.63 ± 19.91 m vs. 556.35 ± 30.48 m, P < 0.001) compared to the control group. Regarding compliance, post-intervention Frankl scores (3.87 ± 0.34 vs. 3.10 ± 0.60) and Houpt scores (2.91 ± 0.86 vs. 3.19 ± 0.78) indicated significantly better cooperation willingness and treatment completion in the intervention group (P < 0.05). Conclusion The fun game-based intervention significantly improves pulmonary function and exercise capacity, while effectively enhancing compliance and completion rates in the rehabilitation of children with pneumonia. This approach is economical, feasible, and effective, offering a novel strategy for clinical nursing and rehabilitation practice in pediatric pneumonia. Clinical trial registration https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=269965.