Mobile health (mHealth) applications are scarce for children and adolescents with chronic pulmonary diseases (CPDs). This study aimed to map and describe the contents of the mHealth apps available for use in children and adolescents with CPDs. We performed a systematic mapping review of published scientific literature in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library by February of 2023, using relevant keywords. Inclusion criteria were as follows: children aged < 18 years with CPDs; and studies published in English on mHealth apps. A total number of 353 studies were found, 9 of which met the inclusion criteria. These studies described seven mHealth apps for Android and iOS, designed either for asthma (n = 5) or for cystic fibrosis (n = 2). Five content areas were identified: education/information; pharmacological treatment; emergency; support; and non-pharmacological treatment. The studies (4, 2, and 3, respectively) showed consistent findings using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies. This mapping review provided a guided selection of the most appropriate mHealth apps for use in children and adolescents with CPDs based on the needs of each target population. However, these mHealth apps have limited capabilities to reinforce disease self-management and provide information related to treatment compliance.
Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an exercise program based on principles of motor learning with cognitive elements (such as attention) in the correction of Forward Head Posture (FHP). Methods: A total of 55 university students from the University of Thessaly, aged between 18 and 25 years, participated in this study. Volunteers found to have a craniovertebral angle <50° were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group IG (n = 27) and the control group CG (n = 28). The IG followed a treatment protocol consisting of three 30–45-min sessions per week for four weeks, a total of twelve sessions, while the control group received the same content instructions and group sessions upon completion. Results: After the four-week intervention period, significant improvements were observed in both static and dynamic craniovertebral angle measurements (p < 0.05) when comparing the IG to the CG. Additionally, there was a notable increase in the endurance of the deep neck flexors (p < 0.05), even though the intervention for the IG did not include specific strength exercises. Furthermore, participants with FHP were able to transfer (B–C) motor skills (p < 0.01) acquired during static position tasks to a similar but dynamically untrained task. They also retained (B–D) improvements in posture and strength during the two-week detraining period (p < 0.01), indicating sustained motor learning effects. Conclusions: The exercise intervention was successful at decreasing FHP in subjects, sustaining the results for a two-week period. This study supports the effectiveness of postural training by a program based on motor learning principles. New rehabilitation strategies based on motor control and motor learning could be introduced into physiotherapy practice to increase effectiveness.
27 January 2026 in Research in Developmental Disabilities
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a multifactorial motor disorder that significantly impacts a child's activities of daily living and academic skills. Identifying signs of DCD early is essential to enable timely support and reduce the risk of long-term difficulties. This cross-sectional study aimed to further investigate the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (LDCDQ) by carrying out appropriate analyses in a convenience sample of 3- to 5- year old children in Greece. A total of 362 preschool children aged 3-5 years old from 39 municipal kindergartens in Thessaloniki, Greece participated in this study. Parents filled out the Greek LDCDQ. Internal consistency of the LDCDQ-GR was determined by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was investigated using factor analysis RESULTS: Internal consistency of the LDCDQ-GR was 0.88. Factor analysis resulted in three factors (Locomotor, Fine motor and General Coordination skills). No effects of age (H(2) = 3.93, p = 0.14, η2 = 0.005) and gender (H(1) = 2.75, p = 0.09, η2 = 0.005) were depicted for the LDCDQ-GR final score. LDCDQ-GR appears to be a reliable and well-structured questionnaire for identifying preschool-aged (3-5 years old) children in Greece who may be at risk for DCD.