Physical activity and health-related quality of life in pediatric cancer patients following a 4-week inpatient rehabilitation program

Purpose Chronic health conditions and impaired quality of life are commonly experienced in childhood cancer survivors. While rehabilitation clinics support patients in coping with the disease, studies evaluating an inpatient rehabilitation program on promoting physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are missing. Methods A 4-week inpatient rehabilitation program was prospectively evaluated. One hundred fifty patients with leukemia or lymphoma ( N = 86), brain tumors ( N = 38), and sarcomas ( N = 26) were enrolled on average 17 months after cessation of acute medical treatment. PA amount and cadence (indicating the intensity of walking activity) using the StepWatch™ 3 Activity Monitor and HRQoL global and physical well-being scores using the KINDL ® questionnaire were assessed before, immediately after, and 6 and 12 months following the program and analyzed using multiple linear mixed models. Results Significant effects on PA were only found at 12-month follow-up for amount and cadence variables (all p