AIMS: To evaluate the effects of telerehabilitation (TG) compared with an unsupervised home exercise training program (HG) on muscle function, physical activity (PA), and sleep in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). METHODS: Thirty children with CF (mean age 10.2 +/- 1.9 years) were randomly allocated to TG or HG. The exercise protocol was applied thrice a week for six weeks in the TG via Skype. The same exercises were sent in an exercise booklet to the HG, and phone contact was made once a week. Muscle function (one-minute sit-to-stand (1-min STS), sit-up, pushup, squat, and plank tests)), PA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children), and sleep (Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ)) were assessed before and after the 6-week study period. RESULTS: The 1-min STS significantly improved in the TG compared with the HG (p <= 0.001, etap2 0.474). The sit-up (p = 0.005, etap2 0.247), pushup (p = 0.002, etap2 0.180), squat (p = 0.002, etap2 0.284), and plank (p < 0.0001, etap2 0.360) test scores were significantly improved in the TG compared to the HG. No significant changes between groups were seen for PA (p = 0.261, etap2 0.045), ESS (p = 0.160, etap2 0.069), or PSQ (p = 0.763, etap2 0.003). CONCLUSION: Children who received TG improved muscle function more than children who received an HG. The effectiveness of longer term TG programs should be investigated in children with CF.
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