Effects of a Multidirectional Walking Program on Physical Function and Quality of Life in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a novel multi-directional walking program and physical activity monitoring (WALK) versus physical activity monitoring alone (CONT) on performance-based physical function and patient-reported quality of life. Thirty-five adults receiving either an autologous or allogeneic HSCT were randomized to the two groups. Patients in the WALK group received training three times a week throughout the entire hospitalization phase, while patients in the CONT group received usual care visits from an exercise physiologist. Both groups experienced significant decreases post-transplant in cardiovascular endurance and quality of life. However, the WALK group showed larger effects for improvements in cardiovascular endurance and quality of life scores by the end of the study compared to the CONT group. There were no significant changes in physical function or physical activity levels for either group. The results of this study show promise for multi-directional walking as a feasible inpatient intervention for patients receiving HSCT. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of this intervention on a larger scale