Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed With Sickle Cell Disease: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction: Research on the benefits of physical activity (PA) for children diagnosed with sickle cell disease (SCD) remains divided. This scoping review aimed to describe PA and physical fitness assessments, detail existing PA interventions, and document adverse events related to PA interventions in children with SCD. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and PEDro for clinical trials and observational studies on children ≤21 years old diagnosed with SCD and providing at least one assessment of PA and/or physical fitness and/or a PA intervention. Results: A total of 45 studies were included in this review. Only 28.9% of studies provided an assessment of PA, with the most common assessment being self-reported questionnaires. Most studies (ie, 88.9%) detailed using physical fitness assessments, with the most common being the 6-minute walk test. Two studies described a PA intervention, and one adverse event was reported. Conclusion: This scoping review indicated that approaches to assess PA and physical fitness in children with SCD are heterogenous and PA interventions in this population are limited. Conducting future research aiming to address these gaps is critical to allow for the formulation of PA guidelines that are specific to the needs/challenges of children with SCD.