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Effects of fun games on respiratory function and compliance in children with pneumonia: a randomized controlled trial

Ying Chen, Xin He, Jin Gong, Qin Wang, Ting Chen, Yan-Yun Zhuang, Liu-Qing Ye

Frontiers in Public Health, 2026

170 participants

Abstract

Background Community-acquired pneumonia poses a significant threat to children's health. Traditional respiratory rehabilitation often suffers from poor adherence due to children's limited cognitive abilities. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a fun game-based intervention on respiratory function, exercise capacity, and rehabilitation compliance in children with pneumonia. Methods A single-center, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 170 children recovering from pneumonia and meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen and randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group. Ultimately, 154 participants (77 per group) completed the study. The control group received conventional respiratory training and health education. The intervention group participated in an 8-week fun game-based program, including respiratory training games (e.g., “Blow Out the Little Candle”), physical activity games (e.g., “Rhythmic Breathing Run”), along with interactive feedback mechanisms and personalized adjustments. Pulmonary function (FEV1/FVC ratio), exercise capacity (6-min walk distance, 6MWD), and rehabilitation compliance (Frankl and Houpt scale scores) were measured in both groups before and after the intervention. Results No statistically significant differences were found in baseline characteristics or outcome measures between the two groups before the intervention (P > 0.05). After…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 170 participants or records.

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