Given their enormous socioeconomic burdens, lifestyle-related noncommunicable diseases (heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity) have become priorities for the World Health Organization and health service delivery systems. Health care systems have been criticized for relative inattention to the gap between knowledge and practice, as it relates to preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases. Physical therapy is a profession that can contribute effectively to patients'/clients' lifestyle behavior changes at the upstream end of prevention and management. Efforts by entry-to-practice physical therapist education programs to align curricula with epidemiological trends toward best health care practices are varied. One explanation may be the lack of a frame of reference for reducing the knowledge translation gap. The purpose of this article is to provide a current perspective on epidemiological indicators and societal priorities to inform physical therapy curriculum content. Such content needs to include health examination/evaluation tools and health behavior change interventions that are consistent with contemporary values, directions, and practices of physical therapy. These considerations provide a frame of reference for curriculum change. Based on 5 years of experience and dialogue among curriculum stakeholders, an example of how epidemiologically informed and evidence-based best health care practices may be systematically integrated into physical therapy curricula to maximize patient/client health and conventional physical therapy outcomes is provided. This novel approach can serve as an example to other entry-to-practice physical therapist education programs of how to align their curricula with societal health priorities, specifically, noncommunicable diseases. The intentions are to stimulate dialogue about effectively integrating health-based competencies into entry-level education and advancing best practice, as opposed to simply evidence-based practice, across professions and health services and to establish accreditable, health promotion practice standards for physical therapy.

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Physiotherapists use red flags to screen for serious pathology. Paediatric osteosarcoma is a rare disease, occurring predominantly in the area of the knee and shoulder, and it is not always included by physiotherapists on a differential diagnosis list. Traditional red flags do not always correspond to the initial signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma. Physiotherapists should routinely palpate along the length of the bone to detect a potential mass. The detection of a mass or symptoms that do not follow the expected course indicates the need for reassessment and possibly referral for further investigation.

Purpose: This cross-sectional, observational study investigated whether physical activity (PA) levels are associated with motor performance and physical function in children after treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Method: Participants aged 8-13 years who had completed treatment for ALL (3-36 months post-treatment) were tested at their oncology long-term follow-up appointment at the British Columbia Children's Hospital. PA level was measured using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Motor performance was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition, Short Form (BOT-2 SF), and physical function was measured using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Results: Thirteen children completed testing. PAQ-C scores were not associated with BOT-2 SF or 6MWT performance. Eleven children (85%) performed below the norm for the 6MWT. Children with elevated body mass index had poorer 6MWT but similar PAQ-C scores. Conclusion: PA was not found to be associated with motor performance and physical function. Participants who were overweight or obese had poorer 6MWT performance, which may indicate the need for closer monitoring of post-treatment weight status and physical function in the oncology follow-up setting.Key Words: acute lymphoblastic leukemia; body mass index; motor skills; physical activity; physical fitness. RÉ SUMÉObjectif : cette é tude observationnelle à mé thodologie transversale portait sur le lien potentiel entre le niveau d'activité physique (AP) et la capacité motrice et physique des enfants ayant reç u un traitement contre la leucé mie lymphoblastique aiguë (LLA). Mé thode : des participants â gé s de 8 à 13 ans ayant reç u un traitement contre la LLA (de 3 à 36 mois aprè s le traitement) ont é té é valué s lors de leur rendez-vous de suivi à long terme en oncologie au British Columbia Children's Hospital. Le niveau d'AP a é té mesuré à l'aide du Questionnaire de mesure de l'activité physique chez les enfants (PAQ-C). La capacité motrice a é té mesuré e à l'aide du Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Deuxiè me é dition, Formulaire court (BOT-2 SF) et la capacité physique a é té mesuré e à l'aide du test de marche de 6 minutes (6MWT). Ré sultats : treize enfants ont effectué les tests. Aucun lien n'a é té observé entre les scores du PAQ-C et les ré sultats du BOT-2 SF ni ceux du 6MWT. Onze enfants (85 %) ont obtenu un ré sultat infé rieur à la norme au 6MWT. Les enfants ayant un indice de masse corporelle é levé ont obtenu des ré sultats plus faibles au 6MWT, mais des ré sultats similaires au PAQ-C. Conclusion : le niveau d'AP ne semble pas avoir de lien avec la capacité motrice ou physique. Les participants en surpoids et obè ses ont obtenu des ré sultats plus faibles au 6MWT, ce qui peut indiquer un besoin de surveillance plus é troit du poids et de la capacité physique aprè s le traitement lors des rendez-vous de suivi en oncologie.Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy in Canada, a...