title: Changes in fitness are associated with changes in body composition and bone health in children after cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effects of physical activity on the fitness, body composition and mental health of children after cancer or bone marrow transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We focused on 22 children aged from seven to 14 years who had received chemotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation in our medical centre. Ten children took part in a six-month exercise programme, and 12 children who did not exercise formed the control group. At baseline and at the end of the trial, we measured aerobic fitness, body composition, bone density and assessed the child's mood and quality of life. We pooled all participants together post hoc to compare changes in fitness with the various study outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no differences between groups in changes in fitness, body composition or mental health indices. Significant correlations were found between changes in aerobic fitness and changes in lean body mass (r = 0.74, p = 0.002), bone mineral content (r = 0.57, p = 0.026) and femoral neck bone mineral density (r = 0.59, p = 0.027) in all participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Group-based exercise training did not improve aerobic fitness in children after cancer or bone marrow transplantation. However, changes in fitness throughout the study period were associated with changes in body composition and bone health in all participants.
authors.affiliation: Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle Clinic, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Centre, Tel Hashomer, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Gal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dubnov-Raz
authors.affiliation: School of Nutritional Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Meital
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azar
authors.affiliation: Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle Clinic, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Centre, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reuveny
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Edmond J. Safra International Congenital Heart Centre, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Centre, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Uriel
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology, Hadassah- Hebrew University Medical Centre, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weintraub
authors.affiliation: Sport Medicine Centre, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hadassah- Hebrew University Medical Centre, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Naama W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Constantini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001823:Body Composition; D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms; D010809:Physical Fitness; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Bone density; Cancer; Exercise; Fitness; Oncology