Physical activity during treatment in children with leukemia: a pilot study

The purpose of this pilot study was to measure physical activity (PA) levels in children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to compare the results with those from age-matched healthy children. We used the MTI Actigraph accelerometer to determine PA (during a 1 week period) in children (n = 7; age = 4–7 y) undergoing maintenance treatment for ALL and in age-matched controls (n = 7). The number of children accumulating at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for 5 or more days of the week was 3 for the control group, whereas no children with ALL met this criterion. Significantly lower levels of total weekly time of MVPA were seen in children being treated for ALL (328 ± 107 min) than in controls (506 ± 175 min) (p < 0.05). When weekday data was analyzed, the ALL patients also had significantly lower mean daily times of MVPA (49 ± 23 min vs. 79 ± 25 min). It is thus important that young ALL sufferers are encouraged to participate in appropriate sports, games, and physical activities both in the family and school environments that will prime them with positive attitudes to PA during the critical early years of life.

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Partnerships for Active Children in Elementary Schools: Outcomes of a 2-Year Pilot Study to Increase Physical Activity During the School Day

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/0890117117707289 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 621-630 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

R. Glenn Weaver ◽

Collin A. Webster ◽

Cate Egan ◽

Carolina M. C. Campos ◽

Robert D. Michael ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Elementary Schools ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Service Learning ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Institute Of Medicine ◽

School Day ◽

The Impact

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of the pilot study Partnerships for Active Children in Elementary Schools on the percentage of children achieving the Institute of Medicine guideline of 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the school day. Design: Pre/multiple post-quasi-experimental. Setting: Four elementary schools. Participants: Physical education (n = 3) and classroom teachers (n = 12) and students (n = 229). Intervention: Partnerships for Active Children in Elementary Schools was a multicomponent, theory-driven intervention facilitated through school–university partnerships. Intervention approaches included communities of practice, community-based participatory research, and service learning. Measures: Accelerometer-derived percentage of children accumulating 30 minutes of MVPA during the school day. Analysis: Multilevel mixed-effects regression estimated MVPA differences over time. Results: Compared to control, a 2.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.0% to 4.8%) and 8.8% (95% CI: −0.3% to 15.4%) increase in the percentage of time girls and boys engaged in MVPA during the school day was observed. The percentage of boys and girls in the intervention group achieving 30 minutes of MVPA/day increased from 57.5% to 70.7% and 35.4% to 56.9%, respectively. Boys and girls in the control group decreased from 61.5% to 56.4% and 52.6% to 41.9%, respectively. However, these changes did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Partnerships for Active Children in Elementary Schools demonstrated meaningful impact on children’s MVPA during the school day by increasing boys’ and girls’ MVPA. However, additional strategies may be required to help schools achieve the Institute of Medicine guideline.

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Prehabilitation with wearables versus standard of care before major abdominal cancer surgery: a randomised controlled pilot study (trial registration: NCT04047524)

Surgical Endoscopy ◽

10.1007/s00464-021-08365-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ellen Waller ◽

Paul Sutton ◽

Seema Rahman ◽

Jonathan Allen ◽

John Saxton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Smartphone Application ◽

Cancer Surgery ◽

Trial Registration ◽

Dietary Advice ◽

Control Group ◽

6Mwt Distance ◽

Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Prehabilitation aims to improve post-operative outcomes by enhancing pre-operative fitness but is labour-intensive. This pilot study aimed to assess the efficacy of a tri-modal prehabilitation programme delivered by smartwatches for improving functional fitness prior to major abdominal cancer surgery. Methods A single-centre, randomised controlled pilot study, in which 22 patients were randomised to: (a) a prehabilitation group (n = 11), comprising of home-based exercise, nutritional, and dietary advice delivered using a wrist-worn smartwatch connected to a smartphone application; or (b) a control group (n = 11) receiving usual care, with patients given a smartwatch as a placebo. Eligible participants had over two weeks until planned surgery. The primary outcome was pre-operative physical activity including 6-min walk test (6MWT) distance, with secondary outcomes including change in body weight and hospital anxiety and depression score (HADS). Results Recruitment was 67% of eligible patients, with groups matched for baseline characteristics. The prehabilitation group engaged in more daily minutes of moderate [25.1 min (95% CI 9.79–40.44) vs 13.1 min (95% CI 5.97–20.31), p = 0.063] and vigorous physical activity [36.1 min (95% CI 21.24–50.90) vs 17.5 min (95% CI 5.18–29.73), p = 0.022] compared to controls. They also had significantly greater improvements in 6MWT distance compared to controls [+ 85.6 m (95% CI, + 18.06 to + 153.21) vs + 13.23 m (95% CI − 6.78 to 33.23), p = 0.014]. HADS scores remained unchanged from baseline in both groups. Conclusion Prehabilitation in the colorectal cancer care setting can be delivered using smartwatches and mobile applications. Furthermore, this study provides early indicative evidence that such technologies can improve functional capacity prior to surgery Trial registration NCT04047524.

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Peak Oxygen Uptake and Exercise Capacity of Children Undergoing Leukemia Treatment

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17238732 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 8732

Author(s):

Aleksandra Kowaluk ◽

Marek Woźniewski

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Exercise Capacity ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Age Groups ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Mean Values ◽

Study Results ◽

Leukemia Treatment

The aim of the study was to assess the exercise capacity (VO2peak) of children undergoing leukemia treatment and to compare the results with healthy children. Furthermore, we assessed the influence of treatment methods on the level of exercise capacity and the increase in sedentary behaviors. The study comprised 21 children (12 boys and 9 girls) undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (n = 13) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (n = 8). The subjects were aged 7–13 years (mean age 10.7, SD 2.0 years). Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by using the ergospirometry test. Progressive Godfrey protocol was performed. The level of physical activity was assessed by using the questions from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC 2018) questionnaire. The study results showed that children undergoing leukemia treatment were characterized by a reduced level of exercise capacity. The measured value of VO2peak in the group of treated children was, on average, 22.16 mL·kg−1·min−1. The mean values of VO2peak predicted for this age group were 45.48 mL·kg−1·min−1 (SD, 3.8). The measured value of VO2peak in the study group with the division into age groups was, on average, 21.21 mL·kg−1·min−1 in the group of children aged 7–10 years. In the group of children aged 11–13 years, this parameter was 22.64 mL·kg−1·min−1. Lack of physical activity and failure to meet the standards for the minimum level of weekly physical activity (MVPA index—moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) probably contribute to the deterioration in exercise capacity level of cancer-treated children.

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THE CONDITION OF THE HARD TISSUES OF THE TEETH IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE FORMS OF LEUKEMIA

Medical Science of Ukraine (MSU) ◽

10.32345/2664-4738.1.2021.07 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 57-61

Author(s):

О.V. Lehenchuk ◽

O.N. Plyska

Keyword(s):

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Main Group ◽

Permanent Teeth ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Number Of Children ◽

Decayed Tooth ◽

Hard Tissues ◽

Constituent Elements

Relevance. Children with oncohematological pathology have a high level of dental diseases since the use of high doses of cytostatic drugs leads to damage to the hard tissues of the teeth. In recent years, the number of children with acute leukemia has increased in Ukraine from 2.5 to 4.1 cases per 100,000 child population. Objective: to study the indicators of the intensity of caries of temporary and permanent teeth in children with acute forms of leukemia: lymphoblastic and myeloblastic. Materials and methods. Clinically examined 98 children aged 2-18 years, with acute forms of leukemia. The examined children were divided into groups: the first group – 61 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and the second – 37 children with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Served as control 63 practically healthy children. The analysis of the structure of the constituent elements of the indicators of the intensity of decay teeth caries (df) in children 2-5 years old and caries of permanent teeth (DMF) in children 6-18 years old was performed. The constituent elements of the df indicator are "d" – decayed tooth that is subject to treatment, "f" – filled teeth. The constituent elements of the DMF indicator are "D" – decayed tooth that is subject to treatment; "F" – filled teeth; "M" – missing teeth. Results. When studying the intensity of caries of temporary and permanent teeth in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, it was found that in children 2-5 years old, cf is equal to 6.64 affected teeth per child. In this case, the "d" element was 75.30%, compared with the control group of children, where the "f" element was 45.28%. Element "f" was 24.6%, and in the control group, it was significantly higher and was equal to 54.92%. In children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia 6-18 years old, the DMF is 5.34 teeth. At the same time, the "D" element was 53.13%, and in the control group – 11.06%. Element "F" was 44.24%, in the control group – 85.9%. Element "M" in the main group was equal to 2.63%. When studying the intensity of caries in temporary and permanent teeth in children with acute myeloid leukemia, it was determined that in children 2-5 years of age, df is equal to 6.25 affected teeth per child. In this case, the "d" element was 80.64%, in comparison with the control group, where the "d" element was 45.28%. Element "f" was 19.36%, and in the control group, it was significantly higher and equal to 54.92%. In children 6-18 years old, the DMF is 5.53 teeth. At the same time, the element "D" in the main group was 41.5%, and in the control group – 11.06%. Element "F" was equal to 57.8%, in the control group - 85.94%. Element "M" in the main group was equal to 0.6%. Conclusion. Children with acute forms of leukemia have high rates of caries intensity in temporary and permanent teeth.

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667 Effects of Sleep-Extend on glucose metabolism in women with a history of gestational diabetes: A pilot study

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.665 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A261-A261

Author(s):

Sirimon Reutrakul ◽

Pamela Martyn-Nemeth ◽

Laurie Quinn ◽

Kirstie Danielson ◽

Brett Rydzon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Gestational Diabetes ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Living ◽

Short Sleep ◽

History Of ◽

Sleep Extension

Abstract Introduction Experimental and epidemiological data have linked insufficient sleep to increased diabetes risk. Women with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) have a 7-fold greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This pilot study explored the feasibility of a sleep extension intervention in women with a history of GDM and short sleep, and the effects on glucose metabolism. Methods Women age 18–45 years with a history of GDM (at least 1 year postpartum) and actigraphy confirmed short sleep duration (<7h/night) on weekdays were randomized at a ratio of 1 control (healthy living information) to 2 cases (6 weeks of “Sleep Extend” intervention: use of a Fitbit, weekly digital content, interactive tools, and coach delivered feedback in order to increase sleep duration). An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), 7-day actigraphy recording and questionnaires were obtained at baseline and 6 weeks (at the end of the intervention). Results Twelve women (mean (SD) age 40.3 (4.5) years) participated (n=8 Sleep Extend, n=4 control). Compared to baseline, nightly sleep duration increased in Sleep Extend group (+30.6 (48.8) minutes) but decreased in the control group (-6.8 (22.9) minutes). Both fasting and 2-h glucose levels from OGTT increased in both groups but were greater in the control group (Sleep extend vs. healthy living: fasting glucose +2.1 (9.8) vs. +12.8 (7.3) mg/dL; 2-h glucose +8.2 (21.9) vs. +20.0 (19.4) mg/dL). Self-reported sleep quality improved in both groups. When compared controls, Sleep Extend participants reported improved fatigue symptoms (Promis fatigue score change -5.1 (9.3) vs. 7.0 (1.0), p=0.008), and self-reported physical activity tended to increase (+1614 (3659) vs. -2900 (3922) MET-minutes/week). Combining all participants, an increase in sleep duration correlated with a decrease in fatigue (r= -.62, p=0.04) and anxiety symptoms (r= -.69, p=0.02). Conclusion Sleep extension through coaching and use of remote monitoring is feasible in women with a history of GDM. It appears to decrease fatigue and may improve glucose metabolism and physical activity. Support (if any) NIDDK P30 DK092949

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Physical activity in the classroom to prevent childhood obesity: a pilot study in Santiago, Chile

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2017.14 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Francisco Mardones ◽

Pilar Arnaiz ◽

Johana Soto-Sánchez ◽

Juana Saavedra ◽

Angélica Domínguez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Grip Strength ◽

Statistical Power ◽

Physical Activity Intervention ◽

Hand Grip Strength ◽

Control Group ◽

High Waist Circumference ◽

Hand Grip

AbstractThis paper describes a 4-month pilot study that tested the suitability of a physical activity intervention for first graders (children aged 6 and 7 years) in a public school in Santiago, Chile. Teachers were trained to deliver the programme in the classroom during the school day. Teachers were surveyed to determine if this intervention fit within their curriculum and classroom routines and they reported in a focus group that it was suitable for them. All children actively participated in the programme and positive changes in their attitudes towards physical activity were observed by their teachers. Anthropometrics, blood pressure and hand grip strength were measured in the students. A significant reduction was observed in children with high waist circumference ≥ 90th percentile, and in mean systolic blood pressure. However, statistical power values for those comparisons were rather low. Anthropometry and hand grip strength were not modified. The latter calculations and the lack of a control group are showing the weaknesses of this pilot study and that further research with a larger sample size and an experimental design is strongly needed.

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Effectiveness of a Primary Care Program to Increase Physical Activity in People With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers (AFISDEMYF Study).

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1058583/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elena DE DIOS-RODRIGUEZ ◽

María C PATINO-ALONSO ◽

Susana GONZÁLEZ-SÁNCHEZ ◽

Joana RIPOLL ◽

Olaya TAMAYO-MORALES ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Primary Care ◽

Systolic Blood Pressure ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Care Program ◽

Control Group ◽

People With Dementia ◽

The Family

Abstract Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention in primary health care designed to increase physical activity in people with dementia and their family caregivers.Methods: A cluster-randomized multicentre clinical trial was carried out.Participants: 140 people with dementia (median age 82 years;63.6% women) and 176 caregivers (median age 62 years ;72.7% women). Seventy patients and 80 caregivers were assigned to the Control Group (CG) and 70 patients and 96 caregivers to the Intervention Group (IG). The physical activity was measured with the pedometer and with the IPAQ-SF questionnaire. The intervention consisted of applying in primary care the program promoting physical activity (PEPAF) for 3 months. The changes observed at 6 months were analyzed. Results:In people with dementia, in the pedometer assessment a decrease was observed in both groups, but it was larger in the CG both in the total number step/day lower in the IG than in the CG and in the aerobic steps / day (52.89 vs -615.93). The activity reported with the IPAQ-SF decreased more in IG, both in the MET/min/week (-258.470 vs -148.23) and in the MVPA min/week. In caregivers the pedometer assessment showed that total steps/day increased more in the IG, as did aerobic steps/day (356.91 vs -12.95). The IPAQ-SF a smaller increase in global activity was declared in the IG than in the CG (545.25 MET/min/week vs 609.55), but the increase in vigorous activity was greater. No differences were found in changes in the functional status and the cognitive performances of people with dementia nor in the mental health in the caregivers, but systolic blood pressure, the Family APGAR and overload in the IG did improve.Conclusions: The results suggest that the intervention carried out may be effective on physical activity in both patients and caregivers. It can also improve systolic blood pressure, the Family APGAR and overload in caregivers. This is the first study to implement a primary care intervention aimed at simultaneously increasing physical activity in people with dementia and their relatives. These results reinforce the importance of using objective measures in clinical trials in people with dementia.Trial registration number: NCT 02044887.

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Long-Term and Transfer Effects of an Action Control Intervention in Overweight Couples: A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Text Messages

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.754488 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Corina Berli ◽

Urte Scholz

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Text Messaging ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Action Control ◽

Text Messages ◽

Control Group ◽

Transfer Effects ◽

Control Intervention

Keeping a physically active lifestyle requires consistent self-regulatory effort such as action control (e.g., continuously monitoring and evaluating a behavior in terms of one’s goals). Involving the romantic partner in interventions might be particularly effective in the long run. The present study examined the long-term and transfer effects of an action control intervention in couples using text messaging for promoting target persons’ and partners’ physical activity, anthropometric measures and physical fitness 6 months post baseline. A total of 121 overweight and obese romantic couples, randomly allocated to an intervention (n = 60; information + action control text messages) or a control group (n = 61; information only) and to participating as target person or partner, completed baseline assessments (T1). 100 couples (82.6%) completed the 6-month follow-up (T3) assessment. Primary outcomes included self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and objective MVPA and MVPA adherence using triaxial accelerometers across a diary period of 14 days after T3. Secondary outcomes included BMI, waist-to-hip circumference and physical fitness (target persons only) using a submaximal aerobic cycle test. At T3, there were no significant between-group differences between target persons and partners with regard to their objective MVPA, self-reported MVPA, BMI, waist-hip ratio or physical fitness. No significant changes in outcomes were observed from T1 to T3; however, changes in BMI from T1 to T3 between target persons and partners in the intervention group were associated. Overall, the brief 14-days action control intervention was not effective in improving target person’s physical activity, body measures and physical fitness in the long-term. Moreover, no long-term benefits for partners emerged. While brief ecological momentary interventions might be a promising tool for short-term effects, future studies are needed to test features enhancing long-term effectiveness. Associations in romantic partners’ changes suggest that dyadic interventions can be a promising approach, as changes induced in one partner may then transfer over to the other (controlled-trials.com ISRCTN15705531).

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The Effects of Aerobic Versus Cognitively Demanding Exercise Interventions on Executive Functioning in School-Aged Children: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.2020-0034 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Anna Meijer ◽

Marsh Königs ◽

Irene M.J. van der Fels ◽

Chris Visscher ◽

Roel J. Bosker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Executive Functioning ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Control Group ◽

Exercise Interventions ◽

Randomized Controlled

The authors performed a clustered randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of an aerobic and a cognitively demanding exercise intervention on executive functions in primary-school-age children compared with the regular physical education program (N = 856). They hypothesized that both exercise interventions would facilitate executive functioning, with stronger effects for the cognitively demanding exercise group. The interventions were provided four times per week for 14 weeks. Linear mixed models were conducted on posttest neurocognitive function measures with baseline level as covariate. No differences were found between the exercise interventions and the control group for any of the measures. Independently of group, dose of moderate to vigorous physical activity was positively related to verbal working memory and attention abilities. This study showed that physical exercise interventions did not enhance executive functioning in children. Exposure to moderate to vigorous physical activity is a crucial aspect of the relationship between physical activity and executive functioning.

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Identification and Validation of Serum Autoantibodies in Children with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia by Serological Proteome Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-867969/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Runhong Yu ◽

Shiwei Yang ◽

Yufeng Liu ◽

Zunmin Zhu

Keyword(s):

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Western Blot ◽

B Cell ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Expression Levels ◽

Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract Purpose: Study was by intention to screen serum autoantibodies that may contribute to the early detection of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in children.Patients and methods: The total protein from three pooled B-ALL cell lines(NALM-6, REH and BALL-1 cells) was separated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE), which was followed by Western blot by mixed serum from B-ALL patients (n=20) or healthy children(n=20). We obtained and analyzed the images of 2-D gel and Western blot by PDQuest software,and then identify the spots of immune responses in B-ALL samples compared with those in control samples.The proteins from spots were identified using mass spectrometry (MS). The autoantibodies against α-enolase and voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 1(VDAC1) were further validated on the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The protein expression levels of the candidate antigens α-enolase and VDAC1 in B-ALL were thoroughly studied by immunohistochemical analysis.Results: Six protein dots were identified with MS as Aconitase,apoptosis-inducing factor(AIF),dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase(DLD), α-enolase,medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase(MCAD) and VDAC 1.The frequencies of autoantibodies against α-enolase and VDAC1 in children with B-ALL were 27% and 23%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in normal controls(4% and 0). Immunohistochemical analysis showed the expression of α-enolase and VDAC1 was positive in 95% and 85% of B-ALL patients, respectively, but negative expression levels were showed in the control group. Conclusion: This study incidates that α-enolase and VDAC1 may be the antigen associated with B-ALL .α-enolase and VDAC1 autoantibodies may develop into potential serological markers of B-ALL in children.Other proteins also need to be confirmed in a large number of serum samples.

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