Correlation between two tests and Children Health Assessment Questionnaire in child with rheumatic cardiopathy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Children who develop rheumatic heart disease live with limitations, they become commonly restricted in the performance of everyday activities. OBJECTIVE: To verify the correlation between performance between two submaximal exercise tests and the questionnaire score in children with chronic rheumatic heart disease. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study with 15 children. They were evaluated through the submaximal tests, the 6MWT and TD3 and the physical capacity assessment under the caregiver's perception was performed through the application of the questionnaire of CHAQ. RESULTS: Mean age 13.7 years, standard deviation 1.9 years. Most of the companions were mothers, 66.7%, and a considerable portion of the caregivers had low socioeconomic and educational levels. The value obtained in the distance covered by the 6MWT demonstrated a low performance, median (interquartile range) 420 (101) meters, which was also observed in the three-minute step test, median (interquartile range) 68 (6.5) steps. Regarding the CHAQ questionnaire, there was an absence of impairment of physical capacity in view of the perception of those responsible with a final score of 0.1. The correlation between the questionnaire and the six-minute walk test (Sperman correlation = -0.21) and between the questionnaire and the three-minute step test (Sperman's correlation = -0.39). CONCLUSION: No correlation was found between submaximal tests, in relation to the physical capacity obtained through the perception of those responsible, assessed through the questionnaire. This result draws attention to the importance of the physiotherapist inserting submaximal tests in his clinical practice.