Development of an Exergaming-Intervention for Children and Adolescents During Hemodialysis: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND

Children and adolescents with chronic kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis are frequently physically inactive. Intradialytic exergaming may provide a motivating approach; however, it has not yet been evaluated in pediatric dialysis settings.

METHODS

Intervention development was guided by requirements from nurses, physicians, psychologists, and evidence from the literature. Six exergaming devices (hardware) and six game applications (software) were screened. Following structured evaluation, the ICAROS games and their control principle were identified as promising, while the available hardware was not suitable for the target group. Therefore, the ICAROS Seated Trainer (I.S.T.) was developed in an iterative process and tested in a pilot phase.

RESULTS

Nine children (11.6 ´s 3.8 years) participated twice weekly for 20 minutes over 8 weeks. The intervention was well accepted by participants and nursing staff. No relevant medical adverse events and no motivational dropouts occurred.

DISCUSSION: These findings provide initial evidence for feasibility and high acceptability of intradialytic exergaming using the I.S.T..