Feasibility of physical function assessment in children with nephrotic syndrome- A preliminary cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the common paediatric renal diseases, primarily managed by steroid therapy. Steroid therapy is associated with significant complications, including reduction in the quality of life in these patients. However, there is lack of evidence addressing the physical function (PF) among children with NS. Therefore, this study aims to assess feasibility of PF evaluation in children with NS and to correlate with the steroid dosage. Methods A cross-sectional study included children aged 6 to 12 years diagnosed with NS receiving steroid therapy in the last 6 months. PF assessment included muscle strength (hand-grip strength - HGS), cardio-respiratory endurance (2 Minute Walk Test – 2MWT) and flexibility (Sit and Reach Test - SRT). Descriptive statistics and correlation with the steroid dosage (Mann-Whitney test) were performed using SPSS v.21. Results Study included 24 children (50% boys) with a mean age of 8.3years and BMI of (18.16 ± 3.63kg/m²). All three PF components i.e.,2MWT (155.7 ± 38.6m), HGS -boys(9.19 ± 4.08kgs),HGS– girls(8.54 ± 2.32kgs) and SRT(-7.36 ± 4.9cm)exhibited significant reduction in comparison with normative data (p < 0.05, CI 95%). There was no significant correlation between the cumulative steroid dose and PF in the last 6 months. Conclusion Children with NS have significant compromise in their physical function compared to normative data. The findings of the study support the need for incorporating routine physical function assessment into the routine standard care protocols in these children.