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. 2019 Apr 23;16(8):1436.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16081436.

Physical Fitness of School-Age Children after Cancer Treatment

Iwona Malicka  1 , Joanna Mrowiec  2 , Natalia Sajkiewicz  3 , Katarzyna Siewierska  4 , Maria Czajkowska  5 , Marek Woźniewski  6
Affiliations

Physical Fitness of School-Age Children after Cancer Treatment

Iwona Malicka et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess physical fitness of school-age children after cancer treatment. The study was comprised of one hundred and fifty six children-children after cancer treatment (n = 71, mean age 11.22 ± 3.11 years) vs. healthy children previously untreated for cancer (n = 85, mean age 10.71 ± 1.22 years). Physical fitness was assessed indirectly based on a ball throw (assessment of strength, coordination, and upper limb speed), long jump (assessment of jumping ability, speed, and coordination), and a 60 m run (assessment of speed). The analysis was performed based on the Student's t-test for independent samples and the analysis of variance and the post-hoc least significant difference test (LSD test). Children from the study group threw the ball closer and had shorter long jump performance compared to the control group, i.e., 12.93 [m] vs. 19.79 [m], respectively (p < 0.001) and 2.46 [m] vs. 2.70 [m], respectively (p = 0.02). However, their mean running time was longer, i.e., 13.33 [s] vs. 11.73 [s], respectively (p = 0.01). Division according to sex showed additionally significantly shorter ball throw distance in the study group in both girls (p = 0.001) and boys (p < 0.001), significantly shorter jump length in the group of girls (p = 0.01), and significantly longer running time in the group of boys (p = 0.04). Children treated for cancer are characterized by decreased physical fitness, and motor ability is sex-dependent. Both groups showed decreased strength, coordination, and upper limb speed. Additionally, worse jumping ability was found in girls whereas decreased speed was observed in boys.

Keywords: cancer; child health; physical activity; physical fitness.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The mean body mass index—BMI [kg/m2] in the study groups. (a) study group vs. control group, (b) groups according to sex.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Analysis of the BMI in the groups: (a) study group, (b) control group, (c) girls from the study group, (d) girls from the control group, (e) boys from the study group, (f) boys from the control group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Ball throw in the study groups. (b) Ball throw in the study groups according to sex. (c) Long jump in the study groups. (d) Long jump in the study groups according to sex. (e) A 60 m run in the study groups. (f) A 60 m run in the study groups according to sex.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Ball throw in the study groups. (b) Ball throw in the study groups according to sex. (c) Long jump in the study groups. (d) Long jump in the study groups according to sex. (e) A 60 m run in the study groups. (f) A 60 m run in the study groups according to sex.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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