Barriers and perceptions of physical activity among Leukaemia patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Self-reported barriers and perceptions of physical activity (PA) among adolescent Leukaemia patients during maintenance phase treatment.
IRAS ID
213648
Contact name
Lorna Campbell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Beckett University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Self-reported barriers and perceptions of physical activity (PA) among adolescent Leukaemia patients during maintenance phase treatment.
Leukaemia occurs when the blood cells in the bone marrow become cancerous and is the most common form of cancer among children. The main treatment for children with leukaemia is chemotherapy, which involves using anti-cancer drugs to destroy the Leukaemia cells and is divided up into 3 treatment stages. Stage 1; induction, aims to destroy all leukaemia cells that can be found and involves hospitalisation, stage 2; consolidation, aims to destroy any remaining leukaemia that cannot be seen, and stage 3; maintenance, aims to reduce the risk of leukaemia coming back. Detrimental effects of cancer treatment, such as fatigue, are common among adults and children, which can pose a threat on quality of life. The aim of this study is to explore the barriers and perceptions of physical activity experienced among adolescent Leukaemia patients during maintenance phase treatment.
Previous research has found physical activity levels and the intensity of physical activity, among children and adolescents, drops during treatment for cancer. However, research is limited when looking into the barriers to physical activity and how this affects patients’ quality of life. Research studies continue to report positive effects from exercise and/or physical activity among children and adolescents with cancer. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the barriers and poor adherence to exercise programs.
For this study, children aged 13-18 undergoing maintenance phase treatment for Leukaemia are eligible, and must also speak fluent English.
Participants will be asked to visit the Leeds General Infirmary on one occasion for 30 minutes to answer some questions and to share their thoughts on physical activity. Data collection will continue until saturation is reached, which is estimated at 10 participants, to generate common findings using thematic analysis.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0889
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion