Development and Validation of the EFT for Adolescents With Cancer

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University400 enrolled

Overview

There is increasing evidence of interventions shown to be effective to promote physical activity in adolescents with cancer. Nevertheless, adolescents with cancer become physically inactive after the end of the interventions. These interventions emphasized heavily on interventionists' role to assess adolescents' physical fitness and prescribe exercises. After the intervention, the adolescents were unable to follow the previous exercise prescriptions due to their changing medical conditions. To promote physical activity sustainably, it is vital to develop a patient-based assessment tool to allow adolescents with cancer to self-assess their own appropriate levels of physical activity that they could perform. However, a review of literature indicates a lack of such a tool.

A cross-sectional study design will be used. A convenience sample of 400 adolescents who (1) are aged 13-18; (2) are diagnosed with cancer; (3) can communicate in Cantonese and read Chinese will be recruited in Hong Kong Children's Hospital. The outcome measures will include demographic characteristics, pain scores, cardiopulmonary function measurements, EFT scores and ratings of the physiotherapists for the fitness of subjects for physical activity.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

400

Conditions

Cancer

Interventions

Our team will develop specific questions in EFT. Then, subject will be invited to fill in a set of questionnaires covering demographic characteristics, EFT items and a numerical rating scale for pain scores. The physiotherapists will rate the subject with the most appropriate level of physical activity.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 13 YearsMax age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 13-18 * are diagnosed with cancer * are able to communicate in Cantonese and read Chinese Exclusion Criteria: Those with physical or cognitive impairments and learning problems, as identified from the medical records, were excluded. Also, those with medical advice that physical activity was not recommended or with detailed exercise prescriptions from physicians or physiotherapists during recruitment were excluded.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The EFT scores

Subjects will be asked to mark their responses for the EFT items in the second draft just before their scheduled oncologist routine visit. The scale ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate that the subjects are fit for a higher level of physical activity.

Time frame: Just before their scheduled physiotherapists interview

Secondary Outcomes

Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain

Subjects will be asked to mark their pain level on the NRS according to their experience just before their scheduled oncologist routine visit. The scale ranges from 0 to 10. Higher scores represent a higher level of pain.

Time frame: Just before their scheduled oncologist routine visit

The physiotherapists' rating for physical activity

The physiotherapists will rate the subject with the most appropriate intensity level of physical activity on a 5-point scale. The scale ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate that the subjects are fit for a higher level of physical activity.

Time frame: Just before their scheduled physiotherapist interview