Move to Improve

About

For children recovering from a burn injury, returning to physical activity can be an important part of recovery and getting back to the things they enjoy.

Move to Improve is a five-year research project and service based at Perth Children’s Hospital that supports children and adolescents with ongoing health conditions, including burn injuries, to increase their participation in physical activity. Each child works with the Move to Improve team to develop an individual eight-week program around goals that matter to them. This might mean returning to sport, building strength or confidence, or becoming more active in everyday life.

The project was developed in collaboration with children and families, researchers and health professionals. Children and parents took part in co-design workshops which informed the structure, content, and delivery of Move to Improve. Professor Fiona Wood is a member of the Move to Improve research team and contributes to the development, recruitment and evaluation of this multidisciplinary research project.

We will continue to update this page as the project progresses, sharing new research, project updates and stories from Move to Improve.

Move to Improve has been made possible through funding from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation and Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, with in-kind support from the Child and Adolescent Health Service and The Kids Research Institute Australia.

Interested in Move to Improve?

Children receiving outpatient care through the Perth Children’s Hospital Burns Service are among those who may be eligible to participate. Referrals to Move to Improve are made through a child’s treating medical team at Perth Children’s Hospital. Children remain under the care of their referring medical team while participating.

P: (08) 6456 1111 (Option 6)
E: movetoimprove@health.wa.gov.au

This research project has been approved by the CAHS Human Research Ethics Committee, project reference RGS0000008355.

Published Research

Research supporting the development and evaluation of Move to Improve has resulted in several peer-reviewed publications.

Move to Improve Author Group, Sivaramakrishnan, H., Jones, A. F., Naylor, L., Valentine, J., Martin, L., Shetty, V., Wood, F., & Davis, E. (2026). Move to Improve: Co-Designing a Hospital-Based Physical Activity Program for Children With Chronic Health Conditions. Health Expectations, 29(2), Article e70628. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70628

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Move to Improve Author Group, Sivaramakrishnan, H., Finlay-Jones, A., Valentine, J., Wood, F. M., Naylor, L. H., Reid, S., Shetty, V. B., & Davis, E. (2025). Move to improve: protocol for a single-arm, pragmatic feasibility trial of an individualised physical activity programme for children with chronic conditions. BMJ Open, 15(11), Article e101909. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-101909

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Sivaramakrishnan, H., Davis, E., Obadimeji, L., Valentine, J., Wood, F., Shetty, V., & Finlay-Jones, A. (2024). Behavior Change Techniques Involved in Physical Activity Interventions for Children with Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Review. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 58(8), 527-538. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaae033

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In the News

Move to Improve has been featured by 7NEWS (2025), which shares the experiences of children and families taking part in the program and how they are supported to work toward physical activity goals that matter to them.