Feasibility and benefits of a videoconferencing‐based home exercise programme for paediatric cancer survivors during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Abstract

Objective We aimed to determine the feasibility and benefits of a videoconferencing‐based home exercise programme to improve health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), posttraumatic growth and physical strength levels of paediatric cancer survivors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Methods Eight paediatric cancer survivors participated in the intervention for 8 weeks. The programme comprised home exercise sessions administered using Zoom, a videoconferencing platform. The supervised exercise sessions were performed two times per week; the participants were taught to perform joint exercises at home for the remaining 5 days of the week. HRQOL, posttraumatic growth and physical strength levels were assessed at baseline and after the intervention. Results The rates of recruitment, retention and attendance were 52.9%, 88.9% and 98.4%, respectively. There were no cases of adverse events. The programme significantly improved flexibility ( z = −2.21, p = 0.03), muscle strength ( z = −2.67, p = 0.01) and power ( z = −2.41, p = 0.02) among five domains of physical fitness measured using a physical activity promotion system and also improved total physical strength ( z = −2.67, p = 0.01). Posttraumatic growth decreased slightly, whereas HRQOL improved slightly; however, the change was not statistically significant. Conclusion The study findings present preliminary evidence of the feasibility and benefits of this videoconferencing‐based home exercise programme among paediatric cancer survivors.

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