Child and Adolescent Health Service | CAHS - Move to Improve: a paediatric research project

Move to Improve logo

Move to Improve (M2I) is a new service based at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH), embedded in a research framework, that supports children and adolescents with ongoing health conditions to increase their participation in physical activity.

Move to Improve helps children and families to identify and overcome physical activity barriers and to reach their individualised physical activity goals, through a fun and family-centred approach.

Move to Improve has been developed in collaboration by consumers, researchers, and health professionals, and is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team, who assist children and adolescents to develop and achieve their own personal physical activity goals.

Our team includes senior physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, dietitians, and psychologists.

Sessions may be held at the hospital or in the community (e.g. a local park or gym), giving participants the flexibility to improve their fitness, skills, and confidence to build long-term habits.

Currently, M2I is recruiting outpatients aged 5-17 living in the Perth metropolitan region with:

Oncology – ambulant, at least 12 months from end of treatment
Type 1 diabetes: diagnosed for at least 6 months
Burn injuries: at least 6 weeks post-burn injury
Cerebral palsy: ambulant (GMFCS I-III).

Participants must also be under the care of a PCH medical team.

If you are interested in participating in Move to Improve, please register your interest here.

Why is Move to Improve important?

Regular physical activity is essential for children’s growth and functional development. It also promotes physical health, mental health and wellbeing.

Despite the importance of regular physical activity, less than a quarter (23%) of Australian children meet current physical activity guidelines.

We know that it can be especially difficult for children with ongoing health conditions to engage in regular physical activity.

Barriers to physical activity can include:

lack of access to appropriate service providers
low levels of confidence and self-esteem
fear of managing their health condition in front of peers.

The Move to Improve team work with children and their families to find ways of overcoming these barriers so that they can begin to move more and enjoy the many health and social benefits that come from maintaining a more physically active lifestyle.

Move to Improve will be tailored to participants’ individual abilities and physical activity goals.

What is physical activity?

Physical activity is any body movement that increases your breathing and heart rates. It can include incidental activity such as taking a flight of stairs or walking to the bus stop, or more structured activity such as exercise and sport.

The importance of regular physical activity

Regular physical activity – whether part of organised community sport or unstructured recreational activity – not only supports healthy growth and development in childhood but increases overall health and wellbeing.

Evidence shows that children who are physically active are likely to be more confident and resilient than their less active peers. Increased physically active can also improve sleep, learning and social skills.

Referrals

Referrals can be made by a child or adolescent’s primary medical team at Perth Children's Hospital and will remain under the care of their referring team whilst participating in M2I.