The potential yield of active play in the prevention of cancer

ABSTRACT

Literature has shown that participation in physical activity is associated with a reduction in the incidence of certain cancers. Physical activity levels across the life course are low. Since cellular damage from an inactive lifestyle accumulates over time, promoting physical activity from childhood is fundamental for cancer prevention. To date, interventions to promote physical activity in children have been unsuccessful over the long term. Physical activity can be accrued through several domains including sport and active play. Research suggests that sport participation and not active play tracks from childhood to adulthood. Active play may be easier to promote because it does not necessitate a certain level of skill or competency, and is enjoyable. The purpose of the present paper is to encourage more research into all areas of active play to increase population physical activity levels across the life course and thus aid in the prevention of specific cancers.

KEYWORDS:

• Active play
• physical activity
• cancer prevention
• sport

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Francesca Block MSc is a Research Assistant in the Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health at University College London. She works within the Energy Balance and Cancer research group, and has a particular research focus on health behaviour change interventions.

Aisling Gough PhD, is a Research Fellow in the UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health Research in Northern Ireland in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast. Her research area is workplace physical activity and sedentary behaviour interventions. Aisling’s work to date has included neonatal lung disease, preconception diabetes and use of social media for public health interventions.

Gillian Prue PhD is a Lecturer and her research focuses on cancer prevention and reduction of cancer-related symptoms in both clinical and population-based research. Her cancer prevention work is divided into two strands – physical activity and HPV vaccination. I am also interested in biological mechanisms of cancer-related fatigue, and interventions to reduce fatigue.

Emma Solomon-Moore PhD is a Senior Research Associate in the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences in the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol. She has expertise in physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and to date her work has focused on families, adults at risk of type 2 diabetes, and rural populations.

Joanna May Kesten PhD is a Senior Research Associate in the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol. She holds a joint position in the NIHR CLAHRC West and the Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation of Interventions. Her research interests are in the use of qualitative methods to understand ‘what works, for whom and in what circumstances’ in public health interventions.

Dr Lee Smith PhD is a Senior Lecturer and Epidemiologist in The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University. His research mainly focuses of the promotion of physical activity and reduction of sedentary behaviour across the lifespan.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Cancer Research UK under [grant number C57326/A22090].