Art activities 'can help kids cope with asthma'
Date: 13/05/2010 / Category: Indoor play for disability schools and groups
Encouraging children to use art to express their emotions can help to reduce anxiety caused by asthma attacks, which may occur while at indoor soft play, research shows.
Using art therapy is "clearly beneficial" for children suffering from chronic asthma, according to a study by researchers at National Jewish Health in the US.
The organisation's art therapist Anya Beebe believes that asthma has a long-term impact on many children's quality of life and can even prevent them from taking part in activity classes for children and other physical exercise with their peers.
She explained: "Our study shows that art therapy for children with severe, chronic asthma is clearly beneficial.
"Our results were striking and persisted for months after treatment stopped."
Asthma UK assistant director of research Leanne Metcalf recently urged asthma sufferers to take part in more exercise to help prevent their condition from getting worse.
She said that this is especially important if sufferers are overweight or obese, as this can effect lung function.
Posted by Sarah Thomas
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