Identifying and eliminating barriers to participation in physical activity and sport in cancer survivors

Physical activity and sport (PAS) participation is a major challenge in any population but it is especially problematic in cancer survivors. Cancer survivors often endure long and difficult medical treatments that may make PAS participation more difficult and also make the potential benefits of PAS seem less relevant. Given the preliminary positive findings concerning the benefits of PAS in cancer survivors, research has begun to examine PAS participation issues in cancer survivors. Presently, the studies are few in number and of modest quality but the research is increasing rapidly. Preliminary research has suggested that PAS participation rates decline in cancer survivors during treatments to less than 10% and often do not return to prediagnosis levels even after treatments are completed. Perhaps 20%-30% of cancer survivors meet public health guidelines for PAS after treatments. Theoretical models, such as the theory of planned behavior, have proven useful in understanding this decline but further research is necessary. To date, there are few behavior change interventions that have been proven to increase PAS participation in cancer survivors. In this seed grant, we propose to conduct a systematic review of PAS participation in cancer survivors that will summarize: (a) PAS patterns and prevalence rates, (b) the determinants of PAS (including social cognitive variables), and (c) PAS behavior change interventions. We also plan to conduct a population-based survey of PAS participation in breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors to identify the key motives and barriers to PAS in these growing cancer survivor populations. Our long term goal is to use this information to develop and test theory-based behavior change interventions for cancer survivors that can be tested in large randomized controlled trials and ultimately disseminated through the Canadian Cancer Society and other cancer care organizations.