Promoting positive physical activity behaviours in children undergoing acute cancer treatment: feasibility of the CanMOVE intervention.

Single-group feasibility study with no control group, so changes in steps, function, quality of life, or staff behaviour cannot be attributed to CanMOVE rather than usual care, natural changes over time, or treatment changes. Small sample at one hospital, so generalisability to other settings or populations is limited. Participants had to be able to mobilise independently, follow simple instructions, and have an adult support person, so findings may not apply to children or adolescents who are more medically unstable or dependent. The study did not evaluate participant readiness for behaviour change or cost-effectiveness. Technology issues affected delivery, including forgotten wear, charging problems, discomfort when unwell, and syncing problems. Online activity platforms created a privacy and safeguarding risk because unsolicited explicit friend requests were sent to some Fitbit Dashboards. Some participants felt discouraged when goals were not achieved or physical function performance was worse than expected. Many reported benefits were qualitative perceptions from families and staff, not controlled outcome measurements.

The authors declared no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Do not conclude that CanMOVE caused increased steps or improved function. It was a single-group feasibility study without a control group, so the step increase and reported benefits cannot be separated from usual care, natural changes over time, or other treatment changes.