Abstract
Purpose
To gain breast cancer survivors’ perspectives on participation in a home-based physical activity intervention and the factors that contributed to their acceptance and adherence to physical activity.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six women who had participated in a 12-week, home-based physical activity intervention using Polar A360® activity trackers. Additionally, 22 participants from the physical activity interventions provided scaled responses to barriers of physical activity on weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data.
Results
Perceptions (n = 6) were categorized into three main themes including (i) Study Environment which consisted of three subthemes acrchversusfear of failure, power of results, and reminders of cancer and moving beyond. (ii) Influence of People encompassed two subthemes, i.e., personal relationships and self as a source of motivation; and (iii) Wearable Technology which was divided into two subthemes, i.e., objective insights into health and disconnect of person and technology. From the scaled responses, the most impactful barriers for participants within the intervention groups (n = 22) were “feeling busy,” “lack of motivation,” and “weather.”
Conclusion
Wearable technology was perceived largely as a facilitator to physical activity in the current study, but technologic difficulties created a barrier to physical activity adherence. Additionally, participants’ perceptions of study design elements and social support influenced their acceptance and adherence to the home-based physical activity interventions and should be considered to inform the design and implementation of future studies.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Mary Beth Eckersley for contributing to the knowledge translation plan for this pilot study. The BC-PAL pilot trial Exercise Physiologists were Katy Koots and Rebecca Urbat. Trainees who assisted with data collection, interview transcription, and data entry were Maryah Liepert and Benny Viner. Data management, including database creation, questionnaire design, data integrity, and quality control, was completed by Dr. Steven Szarka, Farit Vakhetov, and Wendy Walroth.
Funding
Data collection for the BC-PAL pilot trial was funded by a Catalyst Grant from the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, and the Carole May Yates Memorial Endowment for Cancer Research Fund, administered through the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary.
Ms. Stone was supported by the Queen Elizabeth II (Province of Alberta) Scholarship. Dr. Friedenreich was supported by a Health Senior Scholar Award from Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions and the Alberta Cancer Foundation Weekend to End Women’s Cancers Breast Cancer Chair. Dr. McNeil is a recipient of Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions.
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Kokts-Porietis, R.L., Stone, C.R., Friedenreich, C.M. et al. Breast cancer survivors’ perspectives on a home-based physical activity intervention utilizing wearable technology. Support Care Cancer 27, 2885–2892 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4581-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4581-7