Effects of Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy on Motor Proficiency, Quality of Life, Participation, and Motivation in Pediatric Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 尚未招募
- 入组人数
- 30
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Cancer Module
研究概览
简要总结
Childhood cancer requires prolonged and intensive treatment, resulting in significant biopsychosocial challenges for affected children and their families. During and following treatment, children frequently experience impairments in fine and gross motor skills, reduced physical capacity, emotional difficulties, and decreased participation in daily activities. Within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY), these impairments in body structure and function may negatively influence activity, participation, and overall quality of life.
Dance therapy is a holistic rehabilitation approach that integrates rhythm, structured movement, and emotional expression to enhance motor performance, body awareness, and psychosocial well-being. Emerging evidence suggests that dance-based interventions may contribute to improved pain management, psychological resilience, and emotional health in pediatric oncology populations. However, access to structured physical activity programs remains limited due to treatment-related fatigue, infection risk, travel burden, time constraints, and financial costs.
Telerehabilitation may overcome these barriers by delivering therapy remotely, thereby improving accessibility, reducing logistical constraints, and ensuring continuity of care.
The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of an 8-week telerehabilitation-based dance therapy program (twice weekly, 35-40 minutes per session) on fine and gross motor skills, health-related quality of life, participation in home, school, and community settings, and motivation in children undergoing or recently completing cancer treatment.
详细描述
Children diagnosed with cancer frequently experience persistent biopsychosocial difficulties during and after treatment. Common symptoms include fatigue, pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, emotional distress, reduced motivation, and social isolation, all of which negatively affect health-related quality of life. In addition, both the disease process and treatment-related side effects may lead to impairments in fine and gross motor skills, thereby limiting activity performance and participation in daily life.
Rehabilitation and structured physical activity programs have been shown to be safe and beneficial for pediatric oncology populations, with positive effects on fatigue, physical functioning, and overall well-being. Dance therapy is a movement-based intervention that combines structured physical activity with rhythmic stimulation and emotional expression. It aims to enhance motor proficiency, body awareness, emotional regulation, and social participation. Although preliminary evidence suggests that dance- or music-based interventions may reduce anxiety and pain while improving mood in children with cancer, randomized controlled trials evaluating dance therapy as a structured exercise modality in pediatric oncology are lacking.
Access to in-person rehabilitation services may be restricted due to transportation challenges, financial burden, infection risk, and treatment-related fatigue. Telerehabilitation provides a feasible alternative by delivering remote, technology-supported therapy that improves accessibility, reduces logistical barriers, and promotes continuity of care. Emerging evidence indicates that telerehabilitation is both feasible and acceptable for children undergoing or completing cancer treatment.
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week telerehabilitation-based dance therapy program delivered twice weekly for 35-40 minutes per session. The primary focus is to assess changes in fine and gross motor proficiency. Secondary outcomes include participation in home, school, and community activities, health-related quality of life, and motivation. The study population consists of children aged 6-14 years with a history of childhood cancer who are undergoing or have recently completed treatment.
The intervention will be delivered via WhatsApp video calls as a medium-technology telerehabilitation model. Participant and caregiver feedback regarding feasibility and acceptability will also be collected to inform the future development of more advanced, personalized telerehabilitation systems.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 6 Years 至 14 Years（Child）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Children aged 6-14 years diagnosed with a hematological malignancy or solid tumor by a pediatric oncology specialist.
- •Currently undergoing treatment or within 6 months after completion of treatment (for hematological malignancies: during maintenance therapy or ≤6 months post-treatment; for solid tumors: during treatment or ≤6 months post-treatment).
- •Medically stable and cleared by the treating clinical team to participate in moderate physical activity/dance therapy.
- •Able to stand independently and perform movements without assistive devices.
- •Access to a digital device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) equipped with a camera, audio capability, and a stable internet connection.
- •Parent/guardian able to read and write in Turkish.
- •Written informed consent from the parent/guardian and assent from the child (as appropriate for age).
排除标准
- •Pre-existing genetic, neurological, developmental, or motor disorders diagnosed prior to cancer diagnosis that may affect motor performance.
- •Medical contraindications to exercise (e.g., unresolved fractures, severe avascular necrosis, recent bone marrow transplantation, or other conditions restricting physical activity as determined by the treating physician).
- •Inability to maintain stable internet connectivity required for telerehabilitation sessions.
- •Previous structured dance therapy participation within the last 6 months.
研究组 & 干预措施
Experimental: Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy Group
Participants allocated to the experimental group will receive dance therapy delivered via WhatsApp Messenger video calls.
干预措施: Telerehabilitation-Based Dance Therapy Program (Other)
Active Comparator: Standard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group
Participants in this group will receive a conventional physiotherapy and rehabilitation program delivered face-to-face.
干预措施: Standard Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Group (Other)
No Intervention Comparator: Usual Care Control Group
Participants in the control group will continue their usual daily activities and will not receive any structured physiotherapy or rehabilitation intervention during the 8-week study period. After completion of the study assessments, participants in this group will be offered the standard physiotherapy program.
结局指标
主要结局
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Cancer Module
时间窗: Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period
The PedsQL Cancer Module is a validated instrument designed to assess health-related quality of life in children with cancer. Both child self-report and parent proxy-report forms will be used, as appropriate for age. The scale consists of 26 items across eight domains: pain, nausea, procedural anxiety, treatment anxiety, worry, cognitive problems, perceived physical appearance, and communication. Items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale and transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition - Short Form (BOT-2 SF)
时间窗: Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period
The BOT-2 SF is a norm-referenced assessment of fine and gross motor proficiency for children aged 4-21 years. The short form consists of 14 items derived from the full version and evaluates fine manual control, manual coordination, body coordination, strength, and agility. Raw scores will be converted to standard scores and percentiles according to age norms. Higher scores indicate better motor performance.
次要结局
- Pediatric Motivation Scale (PMOT)(Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period)
- Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY)(Change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention period)