Feasibility of a mobile phone application to promote physical activity in cancer survivors

• Main Author: Anna Roberts
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2016-01-01
• Series: Frontiers in Public Health
• Subjects: physical activity; Behaviour Change; sleep quality; mHealth; Mobile application; cancer surviors
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.FPUBH.2016.01.00099/full

Background: Regular participation in physical activity is associated with improved physical and psychosocial outcomes in cancer survivors. However, physical activity levels are low during and after cancer treatment. Interventions to promote physical activity in this population are needed. Mobile technology has potential, but currently, there is no mobile phone application designed to promote physical activity in cancer survivors. Objectives: The first aim is to assess feasibility and acceptability of an existing physical activity mobile application (‘app’) designed for the general population, in a sample of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors. A further aim is to understand how the application could be adapted to overcome barriers to physical activity participation in this population. Methods: A feasibility study was carried out that investigated acceptability of and participants’ opinions on the application. A total of 11 cancer survivors tested the application for 6 weeks. Physical activity (Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire), wellbeing (FACT-G), fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue scale), quality of life (EQ5D), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were self-reported at baseline and at 6-week follow-up. Participants completed qualitative telephone interviews about their experiences of using the app, and these were coded using thematic analysis. Results: The application was acceptable among the participants; 73% of people who responded to the study advertisement agreed to participate, and 100% of participants who started the study completed. There was a significant increase in participants’ mean strenuous physical activity of 51.91 minutes per week from baseline to 6-week follow-up (P=0.005). There was also a significant reduction in reported sleep problems from baseline (mean=9.27, SD=6.72) to 6-week follow-up (mean=6.72, SD=5.50; P=0.01). There were no other significant changes in reported outcomes. Four themes were identified from telephone interviews: (1) barriers to physical activity, (2) receiving advice about physical activity from reliable sources, (3) tailoring the application to one’s lifestyle, and (4) receiving social support from others. Conclusions: A commercially available mobile phone application was feasible and acceptable for use in the short term in breast, prostate and colorectal cancer survivors. However, future work should aim to adapt and formally trial a physical activity app in this population using objective measures and longer follow-up. Conflict of Interest: None