Physical Activity Promotion Programmes in Childhood Cancer Patients and Their Impact on Fatigue and Pain: A Systematic Review
Catherine Malysse,
Rita Pilar Romero-Galisteo,
Jose Antonio Merchán-Baeza,
J. Ignacio Durán-Millán,
Manuel González-Sánchez,
Alejandro Galan-Mercant
Affiliations
Catherine Malysse
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Málaga, Avda. Cervantes, 2, 29071 Málaga, Spain
Rita Pilar Romero-Galisteo
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Málaga, Avda. Cervantes, 2, 29071 Málaga, Spain
Jose Antonio Merchán-Baeza
Research Group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M<sub>3</sub>O), Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Health Science and Welfare, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVIC-UCC), C. Sagrada Família, 7, 08500 Vic, Spain
J. Ignacio Durán-Millán
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Málaga, Avda. Cervantes, 2, 29071 Málaga, Spain
Manuel González-Sánchez
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Málaga, Avda. Cervantes, 2, 29071 Málaga, Spain
Alejandro Galan-Mercant
MOVE-IT Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain
Cancer is one of the main causes of death in children, however, the techniques and interventions applied allow the cure of 80% of diagnosed cases. The aim of this review was to determine the benefits of a health and physical activity promotion programme to reduce pain and fatigue symptoms in children and adolescents with cancer. The databases PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science and PEDro were searched between December 2020 and January 2021 to elaborate this review, using the keywords child, cancer, exercise, fatigue and pain. The review was preregistered in PROSPERO (ID CRD42021262183). Six studies, out of 937 identified at baseline, were finally included in the review: four randomised controlled trials and two quasi-experimental studies. The total sample size of all the included studies was of 474 participants with very different types of cancer and evolution, and outcome variables were pain, fatigue, physical activity level, self-efficacy and quality of life. A health and physical activity promotion programme seems to improve fatigue in paediatric cancer patients and survivors, but no significant results were found related to pain.
