Wearable Device and Self-Regulation Strategies to Promote Physical Activity Among Children With Cancer: A Pilot Study

Children in the control group received routine health education, which included cancer-related treatment, care, and general health education (e.g., treatment-related, diet, and exercise) without systematic PA health education. Every four weeks, knowledge related to sports activities, the harms of insufficient physical activity, and the benefits of increasing physical activity were pushed through the WeChat platform. During the hospitalization of the child patient, they can voluntarily participate in the activities organized by social workers.

"Researchers will conduct a comprehensive evaluation for each pediatric patient, including:~* Disease status and clinical characteristics~* Patient and family knowledge regarding physical activity (PA)~* Availability of social support systems"

"Based on assessment findings, two structured educational sessions (20-30 minutes each) will be delivered, covering:~* Disease-specific knowledge and PA guidelines~* Practical strategies for safe exercise (e.g., intensity adjustment, injury prevention)~* Interactive demonstrations of age-appropriate movement techniques"

"Patients will co-develop personalized PA plans using the six-step self-regulation framework from the ITHBC (Integrative Theory of Health Behavior Change), including:~* Short/long-term goal formulation~* Progress monitoring tools~* Barrier problem-solving protocols"

Patients will perform PA 3-5 times weekly (20-30 minutes/session) aligned with individualized goals, adhering to oncology-specific safety guidelines

"Mondays: Curated PA educational content (e.g., home-based exercise videos, fatigue management tips) will be disseminated via the WeChat platform.~Sundays: Scheduled telehealth check-ins with patients and caregivers to:~* Review PA adherence and experiential feedback~* Address knowledge gaps through tailored coaching~* Reinforce behavior change techniques (e.g., self-monitoring logs)"

Regular monitoring and evaluation will be conducted to assess PA outcomes: comprehensive evaluations will identify barriers (e.g., treatment-related fatigue) and guide real-time adjustments to the exercise plan based on the patient's physical condition and performance. To enhance adherence, families will collaboratively set alarm reminders for PA sessions, and caregivers will be invited to supervise daily activities.