MedPath

CanMove: A Physical Activity Program for Children With Cancer

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Pediatric Cancer
Interventions
Behavioral: Complex physical activity intervention
Registration Number
NCT04483362
Lead Sponsor
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Brief Summary

This study will evaluate a physical activity intervention for children during acute cancer treatment. The intervention aims to encourage children to participate in increased levels of physical activity and reduce the amount of time they spend engaged in sedentary activities. This study also aims to evaluate different ways of assessing physical function in order to determine the best outcome measure to use for children during acute cancer treatment.

Detailed Description

All participants will receive the intervention which involves weekly sessions with a physiotherapist and the provision of an activity tracker. The sessions will aim to help motivate participants to be more physically active and identify barriers to physical activity in their environment. The activity tracker will be used to set a steps per day goal for the participant to achieve.

The intervention will be assessed for feasibility using aspects of the Bowen Framework. Under this framework the intervention will be evaluated according to different domains:

* Acceptability: To what extent is a new idea, program, process or measure judged as suitable or satisfying

* Demand: To what extent is a new idea, program, process, or measure likely to be used

* Implementation: To what extent can a new program is successfully delivered to intended participants

* Practicality: To what extent can the program can be carried out with intended participants using existing means, resources, and circumstances

* Limited efficiency: Does the a new program show promise of being successful with the intended population

In order to find out the best way to assess physical function, participants will complete 5 different assessments. The results from these assessments will help to determine the best measure to use in this population.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
21
Inclusion Criteria
  • Is between the ages of 5-17 years at the time of consent
  • Diagnosed (or relapsed) with cancer >4 weeks and <6 months at time of consent
  • Currently receiving cancer treatment at the Royal Children's Hospital
  • Has been an in-patient for >7 consecutive days at the time of consent
  • Provide a signed and dated informed consent form and/or has a legally acceptable representative capable of understanding the informed consent document and providing consent on the participant's behalf
Exclusion Criteria
  • Deemed by the treating medical team as unsafe to participate
  • Child/adolescent unable to mobilise independent of clinical staff assistance, as classified by the research team at the time of consent (use of a gait aid or assistance from a primary carer/support person is accepted). For example, if a child/adolescent requires assistance from nursing staff or physiotherapist in order to walk, they will be excluded.
  • Child/adolescent unable to follow simple instructions
  • Suitable support person (18 years and over) not available to participate in continuous monitoring of daily steps in tandem with the child/adolescent
  • No suitable access to a device to sync with a Fitbit
  • Inability or unwillingness of participant or legally acceptable representative to give written informed consent.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Physical ActivityComplex physical activity interventionBehavioural change techniques to promote physical activity
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: Fitbit physical activity intensityPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in time spent in different physical activity intensities (sedentary, light, moderate-vigorous and vigorous) measured by the Fitbit

Practicality of the intervention: adverse eventsPost the participant's final trial visit (on average 12 weeks)

Measured by number of adverse events reported related to trial procedures. At each trial visit, participants will be asked "How have you felt since your last visit?" in order to elicit any changes in their well-being. They will also be asked if they have had any falls, new injuries, felt distress as a result of the intervention or experienced a change in medical or mobility status. Adverse events relevant to participant safety will also be documented from correspondence from their primary care physician or from the medical record. Adverse events recorded as serious or non-serious, related or not related to the intervention.

Acceptability of the intervention according to participantsAfter completion of the intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Participant and participant guardian perspective on intervention satisfaction and potential areas of improvement via semi-structured interviews

Acceptability of the intervention according to staffThrough study completion, estimated as 1 year

Staff perspective on intervention satisfaction and potential areas of improvement via focus groups with staff members

Implementation of the intervention: adherence to wearing FitbitPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Adherence to wearing the Fitbit for monitoring, percentage of complete Fitbit data days out of total intervention days

Implementation of the intervention: attendance to intervention sessionsPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Adherence to attending intervention sessions, percentage of intervention sessions that were attended

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: Actigraph distance travelled per dayPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in average distance travelled per day measured via the Actigraph

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: body positionPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in time spent in each body position per day measured via the Actigraph

Implementation of the intervention: ability for participants to attain their steps per day goalPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Goal attainment, percentage of days out of total intervention days that participant was able to achieve their steps per day target

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: Actigraph steps per dayPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in average steps taken per day measured via the Actigraph

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: sedentary boutsPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in number of sedentary bouts per day measured via the Actigraph

Demand for the interventionThrough completion of recruitment, estimated as 9 months

Recruitment rate (comparing the number of people recruited to the number of potentially eligible participants), and documenting the reasons for non-participation.

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: Fitbit steps per dayPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in average steps taken per day measured via the Fitbit

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: Actigraph physical activity intensityPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in time spent in different physical activity intensities (sedentary, light, moderate-vigorous and vigorous) measured by the Actigraph

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: Fitbit distance travelled per dayPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in average distance travelled per day measured via the Fitbit

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: active hoursPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in number of active hours per day measured via the Fitbit

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical activity between pre and post intervention: active minutesPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean change from pre to post intervention in number of active minutes per day measured via the Fitbit

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in Health-related Quality of Life from pre to post intervention: self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-core generic modulePost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean score recorded on the self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-core generic module (standardised questionnaire). Items are scored on a 0-100 scale, so that higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life

Utility of physical activity assessment tools, measured by completeness of assessment data for physical activityPost completion of follow up assessment (on average 10 weeks)

Percentage of complete Fitbit and Actigraph data days out of total assessment days

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical function from pre to post intervention: 6 Minute Walk TestPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean distance travelled measured via on the 6 Minute Walk test (a performance measure of physical fitness)

Feasibility: Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in Health-related Quality of Life from pre to post intervention: self-reported PedsQL-cancer modulePost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean score recorded on the self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-cancer module (standardised questionnaire). Items are scored on a 0-100 scale, so that higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life

Categorisation and frequency of action plan strategiesPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Categorise and collate the frequency of action plan items put in place to overcome barriers to physical activity. Data collected during each week of the intervention period

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical function from pre to post intervention: Movement ABCPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean score and percentile ranking measured via on the Movement ABC (a performance measure of physical function)

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical function from pre to post intervention: Timed Up and GoPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean time measured via the Timed Up and Go (a performance measure of physical function)

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical function from pre to post intervention: Timed Up and Down StairsPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean time measured via the Timed Up and Down Stairs (a performance measure of physical function)

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in physical function from pre to post intervention: Time to Rise from the FloorPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean time and rating for quality of movement measured via the Time to Rise from the Floor Assessment (a performance measure of physical function)

Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in Health-related Quality of Life from pre to post intervention: proxy-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-core generic modulePost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean score recorded on the proxy-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-core generic module (standardised questionnaire). Items are scored on a 0-100 scale, so that higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life

Feasibility: Limited efficiency testing assessing changes in Health-related Quality of Life from pre to post intervention: proxy-reported PedsQL-cancer modulePost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Mean score recorded on the proxy-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory-cancer module (standardised questionnaire). Items are scored on a 0-100 scale, so that higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life

Categorisation and frequency of reported barriers to physical activityPost intervention (on average 8 weeks)

Categorise and collate the frequency of participant reported barriers to physical activity. Data collected during each week of the intervention period

Utility of physical function assessment tools, measured by completeness of assessment data for physical functionPost completion of follow up assessment (on average 10 weeks)

The percentage of physical function assessments that were completed

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Royal Children's Hospital

🇦🇺

Parkville, Victora, Australia

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath