Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Virtual Delivery of Supervised Physical Fitness Assessments for Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study (146283)

Aidan O'Malley 1 , Chrissie Ho 2 , Maddie McDonell 1 , Alexandra Martiniuk 2 3 4 , Tora Sibbald 5 , Lauren Ha 6 , Damian Ragusa 7 , Kylie Brown 7 , Ben Smith 2 , David Mizrahi 2
  1. Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  2. The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  3. International Centre for Future Health Systems, UNSW Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  4. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
  5. Cancer Centre for Children, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
  6. School of Kinesiology, University of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, Canada
  7. Services & Programs, Camp Quality Australia , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Aims: Childhood cancer survivors commonly experience long-term treatment effects that impair physical function. Access to in-person physical fitness assessments is often limited by geographic, logistical, and resource constraints. Virtually supervised physical fitness assessments may offer a feasible alternative; however, evidence in this population remains limited.

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the feasibility of delivering virtually supervised physical fitness assessments via videoconference for children and adolescents aged 5–18 years following completion of cancer treatment. Assessments evaluated strength, mobility, balance, aerobic endurance, and flexibility. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment (target: ≥15 participants within three months), total assessment battery completion (≥85%), individual assessment completion (≥90%), technique fidelity (≥85%), session duration (≥90% completed in ≤30 min), safety, and participant feedback.

Results: Twenty-nine participants were enrolled, with 28 completing the virtual assessments. The sample (61% male) had a mean age of 9.8 ± 3.7 years (range 5–16), with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia the most common diagnosis (46%). Recruitment exceeded the target, with 23 participants enrolled within three months. Assessment battery completion was 92.9% (26/28), individual assessment completion was 98.8% (166/168), and technique fidelity was 90.9%, with the lowest fidelity for push-ups (73.1%). Child age was significantly associated with overall technique fidelity (Spearman's ρ = 0.61, p < 0.001), with older age also associated with higher fidelity for the sit-to-stand (ρ = 0.43, p = 0.024) and push-up test (ρ = 0.50, p = 0.010). Time since treatment completion was not associated with overall fidelity (ρ = 0.32, p = 0.092). Most sessions were completed within 30 min (92.9%; median 19.5 min, range 15–33). No adverse events occurred. Feedback indicated high satisfaction, highlighting convenience, engagement, and practicality. 

Conclusions: Virtually supervised physical fitness assessments were feasible, safe, and acceptable for child and adolescent cancer survivors. These findings support further validation and implementation research before broader clinical application.