Objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary behaviour does not differ between children and adolescents with and without a congenital heart defect: a pilot examination

Objectives: To objectively evaluate and describe physical activity levels in children with a stable congenital heart defect and compare those levels with children who do not have a congenital heart defect. Methods: We matched 21 pairs of children for gender and grade in school and gave them an accelerometer-based motion sensor to wear for 7 consecutive days. Results: Physical activity levels did not differ between children with and without a congenital heart defect. During the 7 days of monitoring, children in this study spent most of their time in sedentary behaviours, that is, 6.7 hours of the 13 monitored hours, 54 minutes in moderate-intensity physical activity, and 12 minutes in vigorous-intensity physical activity. Less than one-fifth of all participants, with or without a congenital heart defect, accumulated sufficient physical activity to meet current physical activity recommendations for children and adolescents. Conclusion: Children with a stable congenital heart defect have activity behaviours that are similar to children without a congenital heart defect. Habitual physical activity in children with a congenital heart defect should be encouraged early on in life to develop strong physical activity habits that will hopefully follow them across their lifespan.