How can children with cardiac disease exercise and play sports safely and enjoyably? A team of designers and researchers from the Healthy Start and STAMINA collaborations will develop a toolkit with and for children with cardiac disease. They have received funding for this project from Agis Innovatiefonds.

For children with chronic conditions, physical activity is crucial for their health and well-being. This is especially true for children with cardiac disease – who we call ‘hartekinderen’ (‘heart children’) in Dutch. Although they are often medically able to participate in regular sports and physical activities, in practice they tend to be less active. This is especially concerning given how important exercise is for them. The reasons can vary – from fear and uncertainty about what they can safely do, to the caution of parents, sports coaches, and physical education teachers who may not know how to best support them.

Safe and enjoyable exercise

The initiative ‘HartActief’ (‘HartActive’) aims to develop a toolkit that supports ‘hartekinderen’ with clear, personalized, and safe exercise guidance. The toolkit not only offers practical information but also encourages dialogue about what is possible, and how sports and physical activity can be positively promoted. It is being designed specifically for, and in close collaboration with, heart children and those around them – including parents, sports instructors, and PE teachers.

The team behind ‘HartActief’

The design and research team includes social scientists, designers, and medical specialists, working together to ensure an approach that is both medically responsible and practically applicable.

The project is led by Arend van Deutekom, pediatric cardiologist and Healthy Start Ambition Lead, along with Healthy Start PhD candidate Kim Boltjes and Hartekind Foundation’s STAMINA PhD candidate Rebecca Meuldijk. They are working under the ambition ‘Active lifestyle for children with chronic illnesses’, in collaboration with Craig Williams (University of Exeter). The team partners with Dutch pediatric heart centers, patient organizations, and other research and expert centers through the Healthy Start and STAMINA collaborations.

Want to know more? Contact Rebecca Meuldijk at: r.meuldijk@erasmusmc.nl.

Foto: Fernando Veloso Leão