Objective:<7b> To evaluate the effects of regular exercise on asthma symptom score, quality of life and pulmonary function in asthmatic children.

Materials and Methods: Thirty children with newly diagnosed mild-moderate asthma (mean age 9.8 ± 1.78 years) were randomly allocated into exercise group (group 1) and control group (group 2). Both groups received inhaled fluticasone and montelukast treatment. Children in the exercise group were also included in an exercise training program. The program consisted of condition bicycle for one hour two times a week for 8 weeks. Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ), a disease spesific quality of life questionnaire, and KINDL, a generic quality of life questionnaire, were used to assess health related quality of life in both groups. Spirometric tests were also performed and asthma symptom scores were recorded.

Results: The degree of improvement in all scores of PAQLQ (total, activity, symptom, emotion) and symptom score in group 1 were significantly higher than those in group 2 in final evaluation, (p= 0.005, 0.000, 0.003, 0.009, respectively). Moreover, the scores of self-esteem and family subscales of KINDL in group 1 were significantly higher than those in group 2 (p= 0.047, 0.030, respectively). Although insignificant, the degree of improvement in pulmonary function values (FEV₁, FVC and FEV₁/FVC) in group 1 were higher than those group 2.

Conclusion: Regular exercise added to conventional treatment in children with asthma significantly improves quality of life besides symptoms score.