Holistic school physical education to enhance resilience and social adaptation among children recovering from cancer
Abstract
This narrative review offers a unique contribution by examining school physical education (PE) as a psychosocial intervention for children recovering from cancer an area that remains markedly underexplored in current literature. Existing reviews focus largely on hospital-based or clinically delivered exercise programmemes, with limited attention to how everyday school environments, particularly PE classes, can support emotional recovery, peer reconnection, and social adaptation. By integrating evidence from paediatric oncology, sport science, psychology, and educational research, this review introduces a new interdisciplinary framework that conceptualises school PE not merely as physical activity, but as a therapeutic space that fosters resilience, restores normalcy, and facilitates reintegration into school life. This work is one of the first to propose structured recommendations for school-based PE participation, thereby addressing a critical gap in survivorship care and offering practical directions for educators, clinicians, and policymakers.
Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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