Exergame-Based Physical Activity Promotion for Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease

Trial details

Who runs it

The Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Trial code

NCT07593118

Record updated

18 May 2026

Original description

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a Nintendo Switch-based exergame physical activity program can help children and adolescents with congenital heart disease increase their physical activity. It will also learn about the safety, acceptability, and feasibility of this program. The study will include children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years who have congenital heart disease, have received surgical or interventional treatment, and are clinically stable.Read full original descriptionShow less

An Exergame-Based Physical Activity Promotion Intervention for Children and Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease: A Multiple-Baseline Single-Case Experimental Design Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a Nintendo Switch-based exergame physical activity program can help children and adolescents with congenital heart disease increase their physical activity. It will also learn about the safety, acceptability, and feasibility of this program. The study will include children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years who have congenital heart disease, have received surgical or interventional treatment, and are clinically stable.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does the exergame-based program increase the amount of time participants spend in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day? Is the exergame-based program safe, acceptable, and feasible for children and adolescents with congenital heart disease?

All participants will receive the same exergame-based physical activity program. Researchers will use different baseline observation periods to help understand whether changes in physical activity happen after the program starts.

Participants will:

Wear an activity monitor to measure daily physical activity. Complete a baseline observation period lasting 7, 14, or 21 days. Take part in a 12-week Nintendo Switch-based exergame physical activity program with guidance, goal setting, self-monitoring, feedback, and caregiver support.

Complete a 2-week observation period after the program to see whether physical activity changes are maintained.

Complete study assessments at screening, the end of baseline, week 4, week 8, week 12, and the end of the observation period.

Researchers will also collect information on step counts, energy expenditure, self-reported physical activity, exercise capacity, quality of life, adherence, acceptability, and adverse events.

Inclusion: aged 8-18 years, with a confirmed diagnosis of congenital heart disease and a history of cardiac surgery or catheter-based intervention; at least 3 months since the most recent surgery or intervention, with a clinically stable condition and no planned reintervention in the near future; deemed by a pediatric cardiologist to be suitable for regular physical activity or low-to-moderate to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; presenting with insufficient physical activity and/or impaired exercise capacity, defined by at least one of the following: failure to meet the recommended physical activity level for children and adolescents (ie, an average of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day), objectively impaired exercise capacity (eg, peak oxygen uptake <80% of predicted and/or anaerobic threshold <55% of predicted), or reduced exercise tolerance indicated by the 6-minute walk test, physical fitness assessment, or clinical exercise evaluation; having basic cognitive and communication abilities sufficient to understand instructions and complete questionnaires, trial sessions, and training tasks; willingness of both the child and the guardian to participate, with written informed consent obtained; availability of basic family conditions to support intervention delivery, including access to smart devices and/or game equipment, internet access, and at least one caregiver able to provide support.

Exclusion: participation within the previous 3 months in another systematic intervention likely to substantially influence physical activity or exercise capacity; clear contraindications to exercise, such as uncontrolled arrhythmia, overt heart failure, severe pulmonary hypertension, or recent hemodynamic instability; severe comorbidities that substantially interfere with exercise performance, such as serious neurological disorders, severe musculoskeletal disorders, or other conditions markedly limiting physical activity; any condition, as comprehensively judged by the research team, that may affect participant safety, intervention implementation, the quality of physical activity monitoring data, or completion of questionnaires or follow-up, including refusal to wear the monitoring device, refusal to complete follow-up, or evident risk of poor adherence.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07593118