CHAMPS 6 Month Exercise & Mental Wellness Study

The Mending Little Hearts Team was thrilled to be awarded funding from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) & the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) for our next CHAMPS study. We were honoured to be awarded the top research grant for this project at the SHRF Sante Excellence Awards in 2020.

Building on the momentum from our 2018 study, our team has developed a 6 Month Exercise & Mental Wellness program for children with congential heart disease. The 6-month program includes weekly virtual camps, as well as home-based exercise to help promote physical activity, heart health and psychological well-being.

Goals for this study are:

1. 1. Look at the impact of a 6-month patient-centered program for children with CHD
   2. Test the feasibility of a longer-term program
   3. Measure physical, psychological, and behavioural impacts in children with CHD compared to those not participating in CHAMPS, and to healthy children.
   4. Look at the impact of the 6-month program on short- and long-term physical activity levels

Dr. Marta Erlandson is an Assistant Professor, and part of our Mending Little Hearts Research team. She was recently featured in an article highlighting the importance of research for children with CHD. CLICK HERE to learn how CHAMPS is leading the way in this field!

Our team is devoted to patient-oriented research to help create an permanent, evidence-based CHAMPS program for children with CHD in Saskatchewan and across Canada. Thank you to those who have already volunteered to participate. Your participation directly influences the programs and resources available to your heart kids in Saskatchewan!

Do you have a heart child who would benefit from CHAMPS Camp? Want to help improve our program? Contact us to participate!

The Origins of CHAMPS – Supporting Children With CHD

Children’s Healthy-Heart Activity Monitoring Program in Saskatchewan (or CHAMPS) began as a vision from heart mom Lynne Telfer RN, who saw a need for more support for children with congenital or acquired heart disease (CHD).

Resources were limited or non-existent, so she turned to researchers at the College of Kinesiology and College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan to help turn her ideas into reality. It was her hard work and dedication along with that of Juanita Praksas, Anna Maton, the research professors at the College of Kinesiology, the Pediatric Cardiology Nurse Clinicians, and the Pediatric Cardiologists who started the camp. CHAMPS Camp was initially funded by the research grants the first couple of years. 

At the first summer camp one of the heart children said to me that ‘I have never met another heart kid, I thought I was the only one.’ “That took my breath away and made me tear up. It showed the impact of just meeting another heart child had and that they didn’t have to feel they were the only ones anymore.

– Lynne Telfer, Registered Nurse & Patient Advocate
Mending Little Hearts Team

In 2015, the first CHAMPS summer day camp was held at the University of Saskatchewan. Since then, positive feedback and continued support from heart families have contributed to the success and growth of CHAMPS camp. There are two CHAMPS programs each year; our week-long summer day camp, usually the last week in July in Saskatoon, and our fall/winter program, which runs every 2-3 weeks on Saturdays in both Saskatoon and Regina. 

It is the generosity of wonderful sponsors and the Mending Little Hearts Fund that make the camps run. Please contact us if you’d like to be involved. 

2018 – CHAMPS 12-week home based exercise training pilot study

In 2018, the second large scale research project was launched involving CHAMPS camp. Researchers were interested in how a more frequent chronic disease management program for children with congenital heart disease (similar to an adult cardiac rehabilitation program) would impact similar physical activity, cardiovascular health and mental wellness measures.

The study included a 12 week long program that included biweekly mini CHAMPS camps (4 hours of physical activity and physical literacy promotion), home based exercise 3 times per week, in addition to mental wellness sessions.

The project had 3 goals:

1. Determine if we can change important health measures (exercise capacity, body
   composition, blood vessel health, psychological health, nutritional habits…)
2. Answer the question “is it feasible to deliver regular year-round congenital heart
   disease management programming for children and their families?”
3. Increase the impact of health benefits that CHAMPS can offer for children and
   adolescents with CHD.

This pilot study for children with congenital heart disease was the first of its kind in Canada. Positive outcomes from this study has translated into regular, 12-week CHAMPS camp programming in both Saskatoon and Regina.

Thank you to the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation for providing funds for this study!

Results presented at a recent conference can be read here..

2015 – A pilot health intervention study of children with congenital heart defects: CHAMPS – Children’s Healthy- Heart Activity Monitoring Program in Saskatchewan

In 2015, the first research project involving the Mending Little Hearts Fund was launched. Researchers looked at measures of bone health, body composition, cardiovascular health (heart rate, vessel health, exercise capacity), physical activity, physical literacy and mental wellness in children with congenital heart disease.

Healthy, typically developing children of similar age were also recruited for this study, and results were compared to children with CHD. Children with CHD who participated in the chronic disease management program (CHAMPS camp), physical activity was assessed during and after camp, and focus groups were conducted to assess family satisfaction.

Objectives:

1. To explore the body composition, cardiovascular and mental health of children with congenital heart defects
2. To assess the feasibility of a short-term chronic disease management program for children with congenital heart defects by assessing participant satisfaction and exploring physical activity behaviour before and after the chronic disease management program.

Various sub studies have been conducted since 2015, focusing on similar objectives. Results and conclusions from some of these studies are attached.

Additional Resources:

• Health Anxiety and Associated Constructs in Children and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Disease: A CHAMPS cohort study
  
• Physical Activity Modulates Arterial Stiffness in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A CHAMPS cohort study

To read more about our research goals and for other studies we have done and those that are underway, please visit our research page.