None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study will evaluate whether delivering an exercise program virtually to childhood cancer survivors who attend Camp Quality community programs is effective at increasing physical activity levels and improving self-efficacy. Who is it for? Children aged 5-18 years old, who have completed cancer treatment and are not currently participating in >60 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity daily will be recruited to participate. Study details The intervention involves a 12 week individualised exercise program prescribed over five sessions with an accredited exercise physiologist, within a framework that includes age-appropriate aerobic, resistance, balance and flexibility exercises at a moderate intensity. The control group will receive education about the current paediatric oncology exercise guidelines, however will be offered to participate in the intervention at the completion of the study. Participants will complete questionnaires and physical assessments at various timepoints throughout the study. It is hoped that findings from this study will help inform researchers about the efficacy of virtually delivering exercise interventions to childhood cancer survivors in the community setting.
Interventions
Participants will be 1:1 randomised to either an exercise intervention or control group.
The intervention group will receive five online sessions with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) over 3 months (Sessions conducted in Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12). Participants will be prescribed an exercise program individualised to their needs, physical activity levels, barriers, preferences, goals and clinical history. The program will be designed to use themselves, with their family, their community org
Participants will be 1:1 randomised to either an exercise intervention or control group. The intervention group will receive five online sessions with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) over 3 months (Sessions conducted in Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12). Participants will be prescribed an exercise program individualised to their needs, physical activity levels, barriers, preferences, goals and clinical history. The program will be designed to use themselves, with their family, their community organisations and at school. Adherence will be measured based on the proportion of completed prescribed exercises using Physitrack software. Participants will be provided with basic exercise equipment (e.g. resistance bands, skipping ropes) to use at home for their program and provided with a $50 voucher to use on equipment related to their program. Sessions with the AEP are 45-60 minutes in duration and include 20-30 minutes of interview and discussion including goal setting, going through the program, discussing barriers and enablers, providing education (short videos, infographics and resouces followed by discussion into the topic), and is followed by a 30 minute moderate-intensity (5-6/10 on Borg's RPE scale) supervised exercise session, which includes: (1) 5 minute warm-up; (2) 20 minutes of exercise training consisting of strength/resistance, balance, and aerobic activities, and (3) 5 minute cool-down consisting of full-body stretching. The AEP demonstrates each exercise, tailoring to address participants’ needs including exercise progressions or regressions. Adherence to the program will be measured using Physitrack software, where participants will mark each prescribed exercise as 'complete'. Throughout each of the AEP sessions, participants will be provided educational resources and discussions to facilitate further learning on behaviour change techniques and key exercise principles in cancer care. Specifically, the education topics include (1) Principles of Exercise and Cancer, (2) Graded exercise: how to progress and regress, (3) Activity pacing for fatigue, (4) Digital technology and local programs, and (5) a topic chosen by participant from: managing peripheral neuropathy, social support, long-term maintenance, pain, and self-monitoring physical activity. These education topics have been built based on participant feedback, and are designed to engage participants in discussion, foster self-efficacy and equip them with the behaviour change techniques to apply in their daily life. Specific skills learnt include self-monitoring, barrier management, planning, goal setting, how to build social support, and building confidence and belief in their own ability to be physically active. Program adaptations The exercise intervention will be modified by using the Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type (FITT) principles. All exercises will be assessed during each AEP session, with the FITT principal for each exercise kept the same, progressed or regressed based on participant ability, exertion, compliance and symptoms. The exercise program may also be individualised for a range of different clinical reasons. Some common clinical reasons to amend exercise may include (but not limited to) the development of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), cardiotoxicity, osteonecrosis, acute symptoms including infections.
Sponsors
University of Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
5 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Diagnosis of a malignancy at <18 years of age 2. Completed systemic treatment (maintenance chemotherapy permitted) 3. aged 5-18 at time of study enrolment 4. parent/participant willing to give informed consent. 5. Not currently participating in >60 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity daily
Exclusion criteria
1. Medical condition that would prohibit exercise participation at discretion of physician (e.g. but not limited to: Cardiomyopathy, uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmias, or other significant CVD). 2. Planned treatment during the study period that will impair participation in the study (e.g. major surgery requiring restriction from physical activity). 3. pregnant females 4. family, child, Camp Quality or treating team preference not to participate
Outcome results
None listed