PLAY Fit-Stay Fit: A Comprehensive Community-based Wellness Program for Childhood Survivors of Cancer and Family

The presenter will describe the development of an innovative community based wellness program to improve physical activity, nutrition education and psychosocial needs of childhood survivors of cancer and their families. The overall cure rate of childhood cancer is 78%, but cure may be accompanied by adverse effects which may appear years after treatment. In response to parents who were grateful for their child's survivorship but frustrated by their difficulty returning to physical activity and the concomitant negative influence on quality of life, community-clinical-academic partners collaboratively developed Play Fit-Stay Fit, a free 12-week program that runs each spring and fall for child survivors aged 5 to 18 years on Long Island, NY (2 new cohorts per year over a 3-year period). The program targets alleviating the late effects of cancer such as impairments of strength, mobility, endurance, coordination and balance. Ten children of similar age and physical activity status participate in twice weekly group fitness sessions of progressive general conditioning, strength and endurance activities, and power, agility and specific skills. Group nutrition education and counseling to promote a healthy lifestyle are offered by nutritionists and social workers separately to child survivors and families once weekly. Unique in its specificity on fitness and integration of nutrition and mental health counseling, the program is an excellent example of a medical, academic, and clinical team approach to community health. This program and a rigorous research design to demonstrate program effects are made possible by an evolution grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation.