The Effects of Aerobic Exercises on Psychiatric Symptoms and Physical Fitness in Children Exposed to Sexual Abuse

INTRODUCTION: Child sexual abuse is an issue that has become evident throughout the world in recent years and requires attention in its treatment. For this purpose, we investigated the effects of aerobic exercises used in physiotherapy on some findings related to post-traumatic stress such as depression and anxiety and on aerobic endurance, flexibility, and muscular endurance associated with physical fitness in the treatment of children exposed to sexual abuse.
METHODS: The research was carried out at the Child Advocacy Center affiliated by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic within Istanbul Bakýrköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital. The study was planned in three groups and 34 cases were included. Groups were stated as control, home exercise, and physiotherapist-guided exercise for 12 weeks. Depression (Children Depression Inventory), anxiety (The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders), post-traumatic stress responses (Child Post-traumatic Stress Reaction Index), cardiovascular capacity (6-min walk test-6 [MWT]), endurance (1-Minute Sit-up and Push-Up Tests), flexibility (Sit-and-Reach Test) and quality of life (Quality of Life Scale for Children-QoL-C) parameters were evaluated at before and after treatment.
RESULTS: As a result; significant improvements were observed in 6 MWT in all groups; for anxiety, sit and push-ups, and quality of life in the exercise group; for sit and lie in exercise and home exercise groups (p<0.05). In comparison between groups, the exercise group was found superior to the others in anxiety and quality of life and to the control group in 6 MWT and psychosocial health (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise can be used safely in the treatment of children victims of sexual abuse. Due to the superiority of the physiotherapist-guided group, it can be preferred first.