Safety and feasibility of a home-based six week resistance training program in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), among the most common chronic diseases of childhood, can be associated with attenuated physical activity levels, reduced fitness, decreased functionality and pain. This pilot study aimed to determine the safety, feasibility and effect of a six week resistance training program in children with JIA. Youth (8-18 years) with JIA participated in a home-based resistance training program. Participants reported pain on an electronic diary once a day for one week prior to training, then once a day on non-exercise days and three times a day (before-exercise, after-exercise, and end-of-day) on exercise days for the subsequent six weeks of training. Secondary outcome measures included inflammation (assessed by ultrasound), muscle size (assessed by ultrasound), muscle strength (assessed by dynamometer) and functional ability (assessed by childhood health assessment questionnaire), measured at baseline and post-training. Participants were also instructed to wear an accelerometer one week prior to training to estimate baseline physical activity levels. Statistical analyses included safety (pain changes and any adverse events), feasibility (adherence to program and modifications made to exercises) and effect of program (differences in secondary measures pre and post training). An alpha level of p