Occupational Therapy Interventions for Pediatric Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
In brief
Occupational therapy reduces pain, fatigue and anxiety by ~0.5-1 SD in pediatric cancer
A meta-analysis of 30 randomized trials involving 1,808 children receiving cancer treatment found that occupational therapy significantly lowered pain, fatigue, muscle weakness, anxiety/depression, and improved communication, activity levels and quality of life, with effect sizes ranging from half to nearly one standard deviation. The findings support adding OT to standard care, though benefits by cancer type and daily-living skill outcomes remain to be clarified.
- Journal
- Physical & occupational therapy in pediatrics (Q1)
- Published
- 7 September 2026
- Study design
- Systematic review / meta-analysis of RCTs
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1a)
- Authors
- Adebimpe Obembe, Emma Riedel, Catherine Wilson, Chloe Donahey, Haley Vredenburgh, Whitney Merz
- PMID
- 42703906
- DOI
- 10.1080/01942638.2026.2722993
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Pediatrics and Child Health (top studies of the week, 13 September 2026): Not applicable to acute paediatric care
Abstract
AIM: To examine the effects of occupational therapy (OT) interventions on physical, psychosocial, physical activity, and health-related quality of life outcomes in children with cancer. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guidelines. The eight databases searched were Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Complete, MasterFILE Complete, PubMed, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, and ProQuest. Reference lists of relevant articles were hand-searched, and the methodological quality of each study was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RESULTS: 30 RCTs comprising 1,808 children undergoing cancer treatment were included in the review. Interventions included creative arts (n = 3), exercise (n = 11), combined physical and psychosocial training (n = 3), web- and technology-based approaches (n = 4), animal-assisted interventions (n = 4), cognitive interventions (n = 3), and play-based OT and wish-granting programs (n = 2). Overall, OT interventions improved physical and psychosocial outcomes. Meta-analyses demonstrated significant post-intervention effects on pain, fatigue, upper- and lower-body muscle strength, anxiety/depression, communication, psychosocial functioning, physical activity, and health-related quality of life (Standardized Mean Differences ranging from -0.49 to -0.96; p ≤ 0.04). CONCLUSION: OT interventions have the potential to enhance physical and psychosocial well-being and support functional outcomes in children undergoing cancer treatment. Future research should examine interventions by specific cancer types and occupation-based outcomes, such as daily living skills.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.