Facilitators and Barriers to Sport Participation in Children With CKD: A Cross Sectional Survey PAK

Abstract

Background: Children and their caregivers see the ability to participate in sport as a key indicator of living life to the full during childhood. Aims: This study aims to investigate the rates of sport participation in children with CKD and identify facilitators and barriers to sport participation. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of school attendance in children with CKD across three paediatric nephrology centres. Parents of children between 6 and 18 years of age with CKD 1-5 or on kidney replacement therapy (KRT) were invited by email, and subsequently approached by the research team in clinic. Results: In total there were 98 respondents to the survey with the mean age of participants being 12 (s.d. 3) years. 47 (48%) participants had CKD stages 1-5, 3 (3%) were on dialysis and 48 (49%) participants have had a kidney transplant. There were 70 (71%) children who participated in sport regularly and 65 (66%) reported that kidney disease limited their sport participation. The most popular sports amongst participants were soccer and swimming with 14 (20%) participants playing each. The most commonly reported facilitators of sport participation included being with friends and enjoyment of activity with 63 (90%) and 53 (76%) respondents respectively. Fatigue and illness were the most commonly reported barriers to sport participation, reported by 39 (40%) and 35 (36%) participants respectively. Conclusion: Children with CKD report fatigue and illness as barriers to participating in sport. Future research such as interview studies should be done to identify deeper themes within the identified facilitators and barriers and thus leading to interventions that can promote better long-term outcomes in these children..