SPACE study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Supporting physical activity for children and young people with cancer in the clinical environment: a qualitative study
IRAS ID
328889
Contact name
Lucy Waller
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Great Ormond Street Hospital for children NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Physical activity described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is any movement that requires energy expenditure (WHO 2020). Promoting physical activity is increasingly being evidenced as one of the most effective ways to improve physical and psychological wellbeing of those undergoing cancer treatment, helping with tolerance of treatment, managing fatigue, preventing physical deconditioning, and improving quality of life.
Treatments for childhood cancers usually requires children and young people (CYP) to be in hospital for prolonged periods of time, and/or frequent hospital admissions. Physical activity declines overtime during hospitalisation with factors associated with a restricted environment. Children receiving treatment often feel unwell with side effects including nausea, vomiting, pain, mucositis lowering tolerance and motivation to participate in activity. Treatment also lowers immunity levels making children and young people more prone to infections and often spending hospital admissions in protective or contact isolation. The resulting consequences is a decline in functional abilities and prolonged periods of inactivity.
Despite the recognition that lack of activity in hospitals leads to worse outcomes, little evidence exists to suggest effective strategies to address the problems, look at the barriers, challenges and strengths and considerations of physical activity from the perspective of families and clinicians.
The aim is:
• To use interviews to explore families’ experiences around challenges, barriers, opportunities, and strengths of physical activity (in a tertiary hospital) for children and young people with cancer.
• To use interviews to explore the barriers and facilitators of implementing physical activity within the acute setting with specialised oncology clinicians, seeking to fully understand their perspectives around current physical activities and strategies for change.
• Examine these findings to explore further with young people (YP), parents, carers, clinical experts and exercise advocates to develop child and family-based activity interventions and feasible ways to implement into a clinical setting.World Health Organization (2020)
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EM/0030
Date of REC Opinion
22 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion