Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Nursing - Department of Pediatric Nursing

Breathing retraining exercises are nonpharmacological approaches that designed to improve a ventilatory efficiency, respiratory muscle function, and exercise tolerance, in turn improve asthma symptoms and quality of life among children. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of selected breathing retraining exercises on symptoms and quality of life among asthmatic children. Time series quasi-experimental research design was utilized. A purposive sample of 30 children with bronchial asthma was recruited. Data were collected from outpatient clinic of Cairo University Specialized Pediatric Hospital. The data were collected using: structured interview sheet to collect personal data about the child and caregiver, observation checklists (diaphragmatic and pursed lip breathing), asthma control questionnaire and pediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire. The study findings revealed that the highest total mean scores of asthma symptome control were detected before breathing retraining exercise which decreased significantly immediate after the intervention and it begans to rise slightly again one month after. There were a highly statistically significant improvement in the total mean score of pediatric asthma quality of life immediate and one month after. The study concluded that, breathing retraining exercises improve an asthma symptom control and quality of life among children. It is recommended that breathing retraining exercises could be integrated as adjunctive non-pharmacological therapy with the routine care for children with asthma

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