Impact of an 8-week walking program on quality of life in patients with thalassemia major

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder which despite treatment its clinical manifestations affect the patients'' quality of life. Therefore، psychological support and rehabilitation programs are needed to improve the quality of life in such patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an 8-week walking program on quality of life in patients with thalassemia major. In this semi-experimental study، 61 patients with thalassemia major (18 years and older) were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups. Patients in the experimental group performed an 8-week walking program. Quality of life was assessed using the SF36 questionnaire before and after the intervention in both groups. Results showed significant improvements in quality of life in the experimental group compared with the control group after an 8-week regular walking program (P<0. 05). An 8-week walking program has a positive effect on the quality of life in thalassemia major patients and a walking program designed for such patients is recommended to enhance their quality of life.