Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Breast cancer survivors’ preferences for technology-supported exercise interventions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore breast cancer survivors’ interest in and preferences for technology-supported exercise interventions.

Methods

Post-treatment survivors [n = 279; M age = 60.7 (SD = 9.7)] completed a battery of online questionnaires in August 2015. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all data. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between survivors’ interest in a technology-supported exercise interventions and demographic, disease, and behavioral factors. These same factors were examined in relation to perceived effectiveness of such interventions using multiple regression analyses.

Results

About half (53.4%) of survivors self-reported meeting public health recommendations for physical activity. Fewer than half reported using an exercise or diet mobile app (41.2%) or owning an activity tracker (40.5%). The majority were interested in receiving remotely delivered exercise counseling (84.6%), participating in a remotely delivered exercise intervention (79.5%), and using an exercise app or website (68%). Survivors reported that the most helpful technology-supported intervention components would be an activity tracker (89.5%), personalized feedback (81.2%), and feedback on how exercise is influencing mood, fatigue, etc. (73.6%). Components rated as least helpful were social networking integration (31.2%), group competitions (33.9%), and ability to see others’ progress (35.1%).

Conclusions

Preferences for technology-supported exercise interventions varied among breast cancer survivors. Nonetheless, data indicate that technology-supported interventions may be feasible and acceptable. Engaging stakeholders may be important in developing and testing potential intervention components.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Speck RM, Courneya KS, Masse LC et al (2010) An update of controlled physical activity trials in cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Cancer Surviv 4:87–100

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Lahart IM, Metsios GS, Nevill AM, Carmichael AR (2015) Physical activity, risk of death and recurrence in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Acta Oncol 54:635–654

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Irwin ML, Crumley D, McTiernan A et al (2003) Physical activity levels before and after a diagnosis of breast carcinoma. Cancer 97:1746–1757

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Sabiston CM, Brunet J, Vallance JK, Meterissian S (2014) Prospective examination of objectively-assessed physical activity and sedentary time after breast cancer treatment: sitting on the crest of the teachable moment. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 23:1324–1330

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bellizzi KM, Rowland JH, Jeffery DD, McNeel T (2005) Health behaviors of cancer survivors: examining opportunities for cancer control intervention. J Clin Oncol 23:8884–8893

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. White A, Pollack LA, Smith JL et al (2013) Racial and ethnic differences in health status and health behavior among breast cancer survivors—Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2009. J Cancer Surviv 7:93–103

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Courneya KS, Katzmarzyk PT, Bacon E (2008) Physical activity and obesity in Canadian cancer survivors. Cancer 112:2475–2482

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhao G, Ford ES, Li C, Balluz LS (2011) Physical activity in US older adults with diabetes mellitus: prevalence and correlates of meeting physical activity recommendations. J Am Geriatr Soc 59:132–137

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhao G, Ford E, Li C, Mokdad A (2008) Compliance with physical activity recommendations in US adults with diabetes. Diabet Med 25:221–227

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Wofford TS, Greenlund KJ, Croft JB, Labarthe DR (2007) Diet and physical activity of US adults with heart disease following preventive advice. Prev Med 45:295–301

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bourke L, Homer K, Thaha M et al (2014) Interventions to improve exercise behaviour in sedentary people living with and beyond cancer: a systematic review. Br J Cancer 110:831–841

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Fong DY, Ho JW, Hui BP et al (2012) Physical activity for cancer survivors: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ:344

  13. White SM, McAuley E, Estabrooks PA, Courneya KS (2009) Translating physical activity interventions for breast cancer survivors into practice: an evaluation of randomized controlled trials. Ann Behav Med 37:10–19

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Bluethmann SM, Vernon SW, Gabriel KP et al (2015) Taking the next step: a systematic review and meta-analysis of physical activity and behavior change interventions in recent post-treatment breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Res Treat 149:331–342

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Fanning J, Mullen SP, McAuley E (2012) Increasing physical activity with mobile devices: a meta-analysis. J Med Internet Res 14:e161

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Buchholz SW, Wilbur J, Ingram D, Fogg L (2013) Physical activity text messaging interventions in adults: a systematic review. Worldviews Evid-Based Nurs 10:163–173

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Bort-Roig J, Gilson ND, Puig-Ribera A et al (2014) Measuring and influencing physical activity with smartphone technology: a systematic review. Sports Med 44:671–686

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Coughlin SS, Whitehead M, Sheats JQ et al (2016) A review of smartphone applications for promoting physical activity. Jacobs J Commun Med 2

  19. The best (and Worst) of mobile connectivity. In. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center 2012

  20. Pew Research Center, 2015, “The smartphone difference” Available at: http://www.Pewinternet.Org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/

  21. Forbes CC, Blanchard CM, Mummery WK, Courneya KS (2015) Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an online intervention to increase physical activity in Nova Scotian cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Cancer 1:e12

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Hong YA, Goldberg D, Ory MG et al (2015) Efficacy of a mobile-enabled Web app (iCanFit) in promoting physical activity among older cancer survivors: a pilot study. JMIR Cancer 1:e7

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Puszkiewicz P, Roberts AL, Smith L et al (2016) Assessment of cancer survivors’ experiences of using a publicly available physical activity mobile application. JMIR Cancer 2:e7

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Lyons EJ, Baranowski T, Basen-Engquist KM et al (2016) Testing the effects of narrative and play on physical activity among breast cancer survivors using mobile apps: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Cancer 16:1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Alfano CM, Bluethmann SM, Tesauro G et al (2015) NCI funding trends and priorities in physical activity and energy balance research among cancer survivors. J Natl Cancer Inst 108: djv285.

  26. Arigo D (2015) Promoting physical activity among women using wearable technology and online social connectivity: a feasibility study. Health Psychol Behav Med 3:391–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Cadmus-Bertram LA, Marcus BH, Patterson RE et al (2015) Randomized trial of a Fitbit-based physical activity intervention for women. Am J Prev Med 49:414–418

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Vallance J, Lavallee C, Culos-Reed N, Trudeau M (2013) Rural and small town breast cancer survivors’ preferences for physical activity. Int J Behav Med 20:522–528

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Rogers LQ, Courneya KS, Verhulst S et al (2008) Factors associated with exercise counseling and program preferences among breast cancer survivors. J Phys Act Health 5:688–705

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Rogers LQ, Markwell SJ, Verhulst S et al (2009) Rural breast cancer survivors: exercise preferences and their determinants. Psycho-Oncology 18:412–421

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Paxton RJ, Nayak P, Taylor WC et al (2014) African-American breast cancer survivors’ preferences for various types of physical activity interventions: a Sisters Network Inc. web-based survey. J Cancer Surviv 8:31–38

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Karvinen KH, Raedeke TD, Arastu H, Allison RR (2011) Exercise programming and counseling preferences of breast cancer survivors during or after radiation therapy. Oncol Nurs Forum 38:E326–E334

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Lloyd GR, Oza S, Kozey-Keadle S et al (2016) Breast cancer survivors’ beliefs and preferences regarding technology-supported sedentary behavior reduction interventions. AIMS Public Health 3:592–614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Godin G, Shephard RJ (1985) A simple method to assess exercise behavior in the community. Can J Appl Sport Sci 10:141

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. IBM Corp. Released (2013) IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. IBM Corp, Armonk

    Google Scholar 

  36. Parry C, Kent EE, Mariotto AB et al (2011) Cancer survivors: a booming population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 20:1996–2005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Spring B, Pfammatter A, Alshurafa N (2017) First steps into the brave new transdiscipline of mobile health. JAMA Cardiol 2:76–78

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Finkelstein EA, Haaland BA, Bilger M et al (2016) Effectiveness of activity trackers with and without incentives to increase physical activity (TRIPPA): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 4:983–995

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Vallance JK, Friedenreich CM, Lavallee CM et al (2016) Exploring the feasibility of a broad-reach physical activity behavior change intervention for women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer: a randomized trial. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 25:391–398

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Wang JB, Cadmus-Bertram LA, Natarajan L et al (2015) Wearable sensor/device (Fitbit One) and SMS text-messaging prompts to increase physical activity in overweight and obese adults: a randomized controlled trial. Telemed J E Health 21:782–792

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Davidson KW, Peacock J, Kronish IM, Edmondson D (2014) Personalizing behavioral interventions through single-patient (N-of-1) trials. Soc Personal Psychol Compass 8:408–421

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. Collins LM, Murphy SA, Strecher V (2007) The multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) and the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART): new methods for more potent eHealth interventions. Am J Prev Med 32:S112–S118

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. Klasnja P, Hekler EB, Shiffman S et al (2015) Microrandomized trials: an experimental design for developing just-in-time adaptive interventions. Health Psychol 34:1220–1228

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  44. Norman GJ (2008) Answering the “what works?” question in health behavior change. Am J Prev Med 34:449–450

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  45. Stange KC, Breslau ES, Dietrich AJ, Glasgow RE (2012) State-of-the-art and future directions in multilevel interventions across the cancer control continuum. J Natl Cancer Inst Monoqr 2012:20–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Research reported in this publication was supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Grant Number UL1TR000150. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Siobhan Philips is also supported by the National Cancer Institute (K07CA196840).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1400, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Siobhan M. Phillips, David E. Conroy, Christine A. Pellegrini, Gillian R. Lloyd & Bonnie Spring

  2. Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    David E. Conroy

  3. Kinesiology Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

    Sarah Kozey Keadle

  4. Departments of Medical Social Sciences and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Frank J. Penedo

Authors
  1. Siobhan M. Phillips
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David E. Conroy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sarah Kozey Keadle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christine A. Pellegrini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gillian R. Lloyd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Frank J. Penedo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Bonnie Spring
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Siobhan M. Phillips.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Phillips, S.M., Conroy, D.E., Keadle, S.K. et al. Breast cancer survivors’ preferences for technology-supported exercise interventions. Support Care Cancer 25, 3243–3252 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3735-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3735-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation