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A qualitative study exploring what it takes to be physically active with a stoma after surgery for rectal cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

Many adults must cope with the adverse effects of cancer and adjuvant therapies, which may limit their engagement in health-enhancing behaviors such as physical activity (PA). Furthermore, the placement of a stoma during surgery for rectal cancer may cause additional challenges to being physically active. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of rectal cancer survivors who were living with a stoma and the impact on their engagement in PA.

Methods

Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used as the approach for this qualitative study. Fifteen rectal cancer survivors took part in a semi-structured interview post-chemotherapy, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes within their accounts.

Results

Three themes captured participants’ personal lived experience: (1) reasons for engaging in PA, (2) deterrents to engaging in PA, and (3) practical implications.

Conclusions

Participants’ accounts offered insight into both their cancer and stoma-related experiences, highlighting both reasons for and deterrents to engaging in PA. Further, findings helped to identify tangible strategies that those learning to be physically active with a stoma may find useful.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, MNT 339, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Stephanie Saunders & Jennifer Brunet

  2. Institut du savoir Montfort, Hôpital Montfort, Ottawa, Canada

    Jennifer Brunet

  3. Cancer Therapeutic Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada

    Jennifer Brunet

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  1. Stephanie Saunders
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  2. Jennifer Brunet
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Correspondence to Jennifer Brunet.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Research involving human participants and/or animals

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in this study. Identifying characteristics have been removed or altered to protect anonymity, yet this does not distort scientific meaning.

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Saunders, S., Brunet, J. A qualitative study exploring what it takes to be physically active with a stoma after surgery for rectal cancer. Support Care Cancer 27, 1481–1489 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4516-3

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