*Utrecht Spina Bifida And Graded Exercise (USAGE) Study: physical activity, physical fitness and development of an exercise program to improve daily activities and participation in ambulatory children with Spina Bifida*. Part 1: Development of protocols to measure physical fitness in ambulatory children with Spina Bifida

Many studies have shown the association between levels of physical activity
(PA) and physical fitness (PF) and overall mortality and morbidity, not only in
adults, but also in children. While healthy children are already at risk for a
hypoactive lifestyle in this modern society, this is even more the case in
children with chronic disease or disability. Next to general health risks, poor
cardiorespiratory fitness levels may contribute to fatigue and lower levels of
participation in activities of daily life. In children and adolescents with
Spina Bifida (SB), small pilot studies have shown these children to be less
active, less fit and more obese than their healthy peers. At the same time
questions can be raised looking at the different protocols and methods being
used to assess physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in these
children.

To develop valid and reproducible protocols to measure cardiorespiratory
fitness (VO2peak and energy cost of locomotion) in ambulatory children with SB.
These protocols will allow further studies regarding physical fitness in these
children.

Validation and reliability study, in which twice 20 childeren will perform both
a maximal exercise test and an energy cost of locomotion test.

Time to travel to the exercise lab, time to undergo the tests (2 x 1.5 hours).
Participants will twice perform a VO2peak test and an energy cost of
locomotion. Furthermore they will undergo measurement of height, bodyweight,
skin folds, circumference and muscle strength. The risks of these tests are
negligible. The benefits for these children are in the short run a
comprehensive report on their fitness level and an individually based advice.
In the long run, being able to measure physical activity and fitness will
enable researchers to develop an exercise program aimed at this specific group
of children in order to improve not only physical fitness levels, but possibly
at the same activities of daily life and leisure activities.