Feasibility and benefits of a combined programme of exercise and play for paediatric cancer survivors: A pilot study

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to determine the feasibility and benefits of a combined programme of exercise and play for childhood cancer survivors on health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), post‐traumatic growth and physical strength levels. Methods Six childhood cancer survivors participated in the 8‐week intervention consisting of supervised play and exercise sessions two times per week. The participants performed joint exercises, independently, at home, on the 5 days that they were unable to participate in group exercises. Participants completed measures assessing HRQOL, post‐traumatic growth and physical strength levels at baseline and post‐intervention. Results Recruitment, retention and attendance rates in the 8‐week combined programme were 87.5%, 85.7% and 89.6%, respectively, with no adverse reactions. Statistically significant improvement was observed in post‐traumatic growth (z = −2.20, p = 0.03), subscales of HRQOL school functioning (z = −2.06, p = 0.04) and total score (z = −2.0.3, p = 0.04). Moreover, physical strength measurements using the physical activity promotion system showed that, out of the five total categories, muscle strength (z = −2.02, p = 0.04) and total physical strength (z = −2.03, p = 0.04) scores were statistically significantly improved. Conclusion The 8‐week combined programme of exercise and play was feasible and provided preliminary evidence for the benefits of exercise on HRQOL, post‐traumatic growth and physical activity levels in childhood cancer survivors.

Exercise Interventions and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood Cancer: A Meta-analysis

“…From the three studies meta-analyzed, a significant increase in 6MWD performance was found (n = 66, MD = 111 m, 95 %CI = 39-183, p = 0.003, ▶Fig. 2b) with no evidence of publication bias (p = 1) but with heterogeneity between were not cancers [12,33].…”

“…The retrieved studies included a total of 697 participants (range 4-169), of which 669 were CCS and 28 were healthy children. Two participants from two studies were excluded because they had noncancer-related hematological disorders [12,33]. Some studies ana-lyzed the same sample (Braam et al [20,21], Järvela et al [28][29][30], Riggs et al [39], and Piscione et al [38]), and thus we used only one study in each case to compute the total number of subjects.…”

“…Two studies [31,36] used the 9-minute walk distance, with one [36] reporting an increased performance after exercise and the other study [31] finding no changes. One study [33] reported an improvement in overall physical fitness -but not in CRF -as measured through the physical activity promotion system, a standardized measurement table for primary school children in Korea that measures CRF, flexibility, muscle strength, quickness, and body mass index. No changes were found for CRF in the only study [19] that applied the Deutscher Motoriktest 6-18, a battery test that assesses endurance, strength, coordination, and flexibility.…”

Effect of virtual reality-based exercise intervention on sleep quality in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and healthy siblings: A randomized controlled trial

“…Kim et al conducted a 8-week intervention consisting of supervised play and exercise sessions two times per week in six childhood cancer survivors on health-related quality of life, post-traumatic growth, and physical strength levels. The participants performed joint exercises, independently, at home, on the five days that they were unable to participate in group exercises and found that muscle strength and total physical strength scores were statistically significantly improved (Kim and Park, 2019). Müller et al evaluated a 4-week inpatient rehabilitation program in 150 children with cancer by using physical activity amount and the intensity of walking activity by way of StepWatch Activity Monitor and health-related quality of life.…”

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“…Two studies [31,36] used the 9-minute walk distance, with one [36] reporting an increased performance after exercise and the other study [31] finding no changes. One study [33] reported an improvement in overall physical fitness -but not in CRF -as measured through the physical activity promotion system, a standardized measurement table for primary school children in…”