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Purpose: Summer camps for children living with heart disease can have a profound impact on well‐being. However, specialized camps often require extensive resources (i.e., 24‐h medical staff supervision) and may be located in far remote settings. Integrating children with heart disease into mainstream day camps may address these barriers. The purpose of this study is to describe the experience of attending an integrated day camp from the perspectives of children with heart disease and their parents. Design and Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Among 25 eligible families, 9 participated in interviews which were held 3 months to 2 years after attending an integrated camp (mean age of children at camp was 7.3 ± 2.25 years). Interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim for an inductive thematic analysis. Results: Many parents chose the integrated camp as their child's first summer camp experience, citing trust in the local division of Cardiology's approval of the camp activities as an important reason for enrolling. All participants agreed the integrated camp was a valued opportunity which should continue, although not all described positive camp experiences. Participants' descriptions of the integrated camp were organized into two main themes: 1) overall expectations of the camp and 2) important opportunities afforded by the camp experience. Partaking in a typical camp experience, connecting to local children with heart disease, adequate safety precautions and activity adaptations were specific expectations held by participants. Important opportunities included greater independence and confidence, navigating disclosure of their diagnosis to peers on their own terms, and more diverse social connections. Improving communication with parents to ensure expectations match camp objectives would have enhanced the experience. Practice Implications: Practitioners looking for an alternative to specialized camps for their patients with heart disease may use these results to guide the design and promotion of an integrated camp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthy active lifestyles are critically important for children with complex heart problems (CHP) that affect heart structure, rhythm or function. They are at increased risk for morbidities such as atherosclerosis, obesity, anxiety and depression. Educating children with CHP and their families about the relevance of healthy lifestyles is an important part of clinical care. Design This study used a collaborative approach among six patients/family members and 22 health professionals to develop a series of knowledge‐to‐action tools suitable for counselling children with CHP and their families about their healthy lifestyle needs. Methods: After development of the knowledge‐to‐action tools had been completed, one cardiologist and one research assistant implemented one or more of these new resources during each clinic visit as appropriate for each patient. Thirty‐nine parents and eight children completed post‐clinic interviews to explore their perceptions of the new resources. The nine resources developed included brochures and websites addressing physical activity with a heart condition, body contact restrictions, exercise test results, emotional health, finding community resources, encouragement for asking healthy lifestyle questions and a brief, in‐clinic healthy lifestyle assessment. Results: Families found the resources useful and helpful for clarifying their specific concerns. They also provided suggestions to improve the content and delivery of the resources so that they would be suitable for a variety of settings—schools, community and sports. Conclusion: Future research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of these resources for raising awareness and knowledge about healthy active lifestyles among children with CHP and the impact of these resources for changing healthy lifestyle behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) with compulsive exercise is associated with poor treatment outcomes. This study sought to understand the attitudes of adolescents with AN from various stages of treatment, toward physical activity research practices and physical activity as a component of treatment. Method: Seventeen adolescents 12–18 years old (15 female) with AN (10 with acknowledged history of compulsive exercise) were recruited from a Canadian Tertiary Care Hospital's Eating Disorder Program. Six inpatients, 5‐day program patients, and six outpatients treated by either the inpatient and/or day treatment program in the past 2 years completed individual, semi‐structured interviews that were audio‐recorded and transcribed. Results were analyzed deductively using qualitative techniques. Results: Participants recognized both benefits (psychological, sociological, and physiological) and risks (trigger negative thoughts, increase competitive behavior) of implementing physical activity into acute AN treatment. Patient characteristics, such as stage of treatment and exercise history, had an impact on participants' perceptions toward physical activity in AN. Participants suggested that the ideal physical activity program would be focused on fun, individualized and progressively integrated, group‐based, and directly supported by staff. Although the majority of participants stated that they would wear an activity monitor for research purposes, concerns were voiced regarding compliance and the potential impact on eating disorder symptomatology. Discussion Participants overwhelmingly supported the careful implementation of structured physical activity and physical activity psychoeducation into the acute treatment of adolescents with AN. This study allows for the inclusion of patient voices in the conversation surrounding the role of physical activity in AN treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Participation in physical activity is essential to the long‐term health and development of all children. However, children living with cardiac conditions are typically not active enough to sustain positive health outcomes. Understanding the experiences of children living with congenital heart disease in community‐based settings could help inform the physical activity counselling practices of clinicians. The current study explored the perceptions of 7‐ to 10‐year‐old children with moderate or complex congenital heart disease as they participated in a 10‐week multisport programme. Methods: Detailed field notes recorded the discussions and behaviours of 11 participants (45% female participants) each week during the programme sessions. Among those, four participants (50% female participants) were purposively selected to participate in preprogramme and postprogramme focus groups to gather more detailed accounts of their experiences. Results: Four main themes surrounding physical activity were identified: (a) motivation, (b) self‐efficacy, (c) peer influences, and (d) family influences. Although feelings of excitement and enjoyment towards physical activity were prevalent throughout the data ("I'm really excited ... because I really like those sports"), participants also often felt frustrated, nervous, and fatigued ("I'm not very good at the skills"). Social inclusion with peers and family influences were meaningful reasons to engage in physical activity ("I really like playing games together"). Following the completion of the programme, participants emphasized their enjoyment of physical activity as a primary source of motivation, demonstrating an important shift from recognizing positive health outcomes ("... it's good for you") towards more intrinsic sources of motivation ("... because it's fun"). Conclusion: Opportunities for physical activity that enhance positive experiences and build intrinsic motivation should be identified and promoted to children with congenital heart disease. Community‐based programmes may also be an appropriate context for children with cardiac conditions to engage and maintain participation in physical activity through adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]