Individualised physical activity programme in patients over 65 years with haematological malignancies (OCAPI): protocol for a single-arm feasibility trial

IntroductionOlder adults with cancer suffer from the combined effects of ageing, cancer disease and treatment side effects. The main treatment for patients with haematological malignancies is chemotherapy, associated with significant toxicities. Chemotherapy can alter patients’ physical function and quality of life which are often already diminished in older patients due to ageing and comorbidities. It therefore seems essential to develop and to evaluate interventions capable of preventing physical and psychosocial decline and its consequences. Promoting physical activity is a promising approach to improve physical function and quality of life in older adults with cancer, but there are limited data on the feasibility of such interventions among older patients with haematological malignancies, concomitant to chemotherapy.Methods and analysisOCAPI (OnCogeriatric and Individualized Physical Activity) is a single-arm, interdisciplinary, prospective, interventional, feasibility study. It is intended to include 40 patients (20 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and 20 patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) over 65 years in an individualised 6-month physical activity programme. The programme consists of individually supervised exercise sessions with an increasing volume of physical activity either at home and/or in a laminar airflow room (depending on the disease and treatment regimen) followed by unsupervised sessions and phone follow-ups. Patients will receive an activity tracker during the 6 months of the programme. Evaluations will take place at inclusion and at 3, 6 and 12 months to assess the feasibility of the programme and to explore potential changes in physical, psychosocial and clinical outcomes. The results will generate preliminary data to implement a larger randomised controlled trial.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol was approved by the French ethics committee (Comité de protection des personnes Est I, N°ID-RCB 2019-A01231-56, 12 July 2019). All participants will have to sign and date an informed consent form. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences.Trial registration numberNCT04052126.

Implementing telehealth support to increase physical activity in girls and women with Rett syndrome—ActivRett: protocol for a waitlist randomised controlled trial

IntroductionIndividuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) experience impaired gross motor skills, limiting their capacity to engage in physical activities and participation in activities. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of supported physical activity interventions. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a telehealth-delivered physical activity programme on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and quality of life in RTT.Methods and analysisThis is a multicentre study, conducted in Australia, Denmark and Israel. It is a randomised waitlist-controlled trial comparing an intervention to support physical activity with usual care. Participants are children and adults with RTT, recruited from the Australian Rett Syndrome Database, the Danish Center for Rett Syndrome and the Rett Syndrome Association of Israel. The intervention duration is 12 weeks, including fortnightly telephone contact to plan, monitor and develop individual activity programmes. Outcomes are measured at baseline, at 13 weeks and then at 25 weeks. The primary outcomes are sedentary behaviour assessed with an activPAL accelerometer and the number of daily steps measured with a StepWatch Activity Monitor. Secondary outcomes include sleep, behaviour and quality of life. Caregiver experiences will be assessed immediately after the intervention using a satisfaction questionnaire. Group differences for each outcome will be evaluated with analysis of covariance, adjusting for baseline values on an intention-to-treat basis.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained in Western Australia from the Child and Adolescent Health Services (RGS3371), in Denmark from the Capital Region Ethics Committee (H-19040514) and in Israel from the Ariel University Institutional Review Board (AU-HEA-ML-20190331). Manuscripts on the development of the intervention from pilot work and the results of the intervention will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Results will be presented at conferences and consumer forums. We will develop an online resource documenting the physical activity programme and available supporting evidence.Trial registration numberNCT04167059; Pre-results.

Preservice classroom teachers’ perspectives on a comprehensive school physical activity programme

Objective: Classroom teachers can play an important role in supporting the implementation of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programme (CSPAP) by integrating physical activity (PA) into academic lessons, providing PA opportunities at recess and becoming role models for school-aged children. Grounded in the expectancy-value model, the goal of this study was to explore preservice classroom teachers’ perspectives towards the programme in terms of their expectancy-related beliefs and subjective task values. Setting: A large public research university in the southwestern region of the USA. Method: Participants were 192 preservice classroom teachers ( Mage = 19.85 years, SD = 0.6; female = 92%) enrolled in a public university. Participants responded to open-ended questions about their beliefs and values related to the CSPAP after learning about the programme model. Using thematic analysis, initial codes were generated from participants’ responses, and three researchers who were knowledgeable in the CSPAP approach identified the final main themes. Results: The results revealed several overarching themes for understanding preservice classroom teachers’ expectancy-related beliefs and subjective task values towards implementing CSPAP in schools, including the essential role of CSPAP in the family and community, innovation in pedagogy and the influence of the CSPAP on daily PA. Conclusion: Our study adds to the literature on preservice classroom teachers’ beliefs and values towards the CSPAP using an expectancy-value model. Potential applications and suggestions for future practice are discussed.