Physical Activity, Locus of Control, and Fear of Recurrence Among Cancer Survivors from a Community-Based Cancer Support Program

2016 ◽  
pp. 93-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana Mititelu ◽  
Achuthan Aruljothy ◽  
Tanya R. Fitzpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Fear Of Recurrence ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cancer Support

scholarly journals Experiences and perceptions of referrals to a community-based physical activity program from cancer survivors: A qualitative exploration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M Faro ◽  
Kristin M Mattocks ◽  
Dalton Mourao ◽  
Catherine S Nagawa ◽  
Stephenie C Lemon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Physical Activity Program ◽  
Medical Providers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Program Staff ◽  
Activity Program ◽  
Electronic Referral ◽  
Program Awareness ◽  
Electronic Referrals

Abstract Background Physical activity rates in cancer survivors continue to be low despite the known benefits and availability of evidence-based programs. LIVESTRONG at the Y is a national community-based physical activity program offered cost-free to cancer survivors, though is underutilized. We explored perceptions and experiences of staff and participating survivors to better understand program awareness, referrals and participation. Methods LIVESTRONG at the Y program staff [directors (n = 16), instructors (n = 4)] and survivors (n = 8) from 8 United States YMCAs took part in 30-minute semi-structured phone interviews. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and evaluated using a thematic analysis approach. Results and Discussion Program staff themes included: 1) Program awareness should be further developed for both the general public and medical providers; 2) Strong relationships with medical providers increased program referrals; 3) Electronic referral systems between providers and LIVESTRONG would help to streamline the referral process; and 4) Bi-directional communication between program staff and medical providers is key to providing patient progress updates. Survivor themes included: 1) Survivors trust their medical team and the information they provide about physical activity; 2) Providers need to incorporate an action plan and referrals for survivors to be active once treatments are completed; and 3) Personal experiences of those who participated in LIVESTRONG resonate with survivors and increase participation. Conclusions LIVESTRONG staff reported the need for an integrated electronic referral system and bi-directional communication with providers about participant progress. Survivors want physical activity education, electronic referrals and follow-up from their healthcare team, coupled with peer support from other survivors. Cancer care provider knowledge and electronic referrals during and after treatment may expedite and increase participation in this community-based program.

scholarly journals Empowering Cancer Survivors to Become Mentors, and Leaders Through Various Workshops and Programs

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 174s-174s ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Support Programs ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Cancer Support ◽  
Program Policy ◽  
Hospital Visits ◽  
Selection Of

Background and context: Friends of Cancer Patients UAE conducts various moral support programs for cancer patients, one of which is the “Color My World” program, which focuses on provide moral support to predominantly men and women, who have undergone, or are currently undergoing treatment of cancer. Aim: The aim is to empower cancer survivors to become leaders and mentors to other ladies/men currently undergoing treatment, and to establish a survivor led support program, as a result of these various programs and workshops. Strategy/Tactics: We believe that to for such a program to be a success, you need to understand your target group, their interests, as well as their backgrounds. A needs assessment needs to be conducted prior to the selection of workshops, whether through direct interviews with the patients, or internally by examining the different support programs available in the country, and what is available/not available. Program/Policy process: There are numerous workshops that take place throughout the year, and they are divided as follows: - There are workshops that focus on healthy living, and the importance of a healthy diet, which involves numerous cooking workshops, and educational sessions. - There are workshops that focus on skin care and make-up, where the ladies are taught how to take care of themselves by certified stylists and makeup artists. - Those who are interested in crochet and handicrafts, have the chance to take part in group workshops, or in focused 1 to 1 sessions. Outcomes: There are a number of positive outcomes that came about from our attempts to empower cancer survivors, the ones we believe are worth of being highlighted are: - A group of survivors are now leading, and running a cancer support program, that visits hospitals within the UAE, to visit those currently undergoing treatment, to provide support, and assist those still undergoing treatment in any way possible. - Many of the ladies, who attended previous workshops, will now start to lead similar workshops during hospital visits to children and women with cancer. What was learned: Cancer survivors must be the driving force in providing support to other cancer patients, and the existing model of the support groups can be linked with the educational workshops, to not only provide moral support, but also social support to the cancer patient.

scholarly journals Investigating How Bowel Cancer Survivors Discuss Exercise and Physical Activity Within Web-Based Discussion Forums: Qualitative Analysis

10.2196/13929 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. e13929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Olsen ◽  
Justin Keogh ◽  
Sally Sargeant
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Bowel Cancer ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Cancer Support ◽  
Personal Experiences

Background Online cancer support group discussions enable patients to share their illness experience with others. The sharing of technical and emotional support information and the ability to ask for advice are some of the primary discussions shared online. People with bowel cancer can also use these forums to support each other by sharing information based on personal experiences. This type of support provides newly diagnosed patients with advice about several topics, including exercise from those who have been there. Information gathered from online discussion boards may complement the advice received by health professionals. Objective This study aimed to explore the nature of information related to exercise and physical activity exchanged online for cancer survivors. Methods A public open access bowel cancer discussion board was searched for threads containing information related to physical activity or exercise. Keywords such as exercise, physical activity, moving, walking, lifting, weights training, and resistance were used to search for threads (online conversations) related to exercise or physical activity. Only threads initiated by bowel cancer patients or survivors were included. From more than 6000 posts, the inclusion criteria yielded 75 threads for analysis. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted across all included threads. Results Analysis yielded 3 main themes: level of exercise competence, beneficial dimensions of exercise, and faith in the knowledge. Level of exercise competence illustrated the varying definitions of exercise that members of the forum discussed in the forum. Beneficial dimensions of exercise revealed that forum members shared both the spiritual benefits associated with exercise as well as the physical benefits or goodness that they feel exercise or physical activity provides them. Faith in the knowledge of exercise demonstrated that forum members were aware of the general benefits of exercise but felt disappointed that it did not keep the cancer at bay. However, members also had faith that exercise would keep them healthy after diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions The analysis revealed that people with bowel cancer discuss exercise and physical activity online and that they view exercise as having a mostly positive influence on their cancer journey. However, personal definitions of exercise became a source of conflict within the group. People with bowel cancer seeking information about exercise may benefit from participating in online support groups as it appears that there are many similar others willing to share their personal experiences with exercise. In addition, health care professionals responsible for caring for people with bowel cancer may use these findings to discuss exercise with their patients while being mindful of how they may view exercise.

scholarly journals QUALITY OF LIFE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: AN ASSESSMENT OF INTERNATIONAL BREAST CANCER DRAGON BOAT RACERS

Lymphology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Koehler ◽  
S Rosenberg ◽  
J Cater ◽  
K Mikolajczyk ◽  
A Moran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Dragon Boat ◽  
Boat Racing

Resistance exercise is deemed safe for women recovering from conventional breast cancer therapies but few clinicians are aware that dragon boat racing, as a form of resistive exercise, is available to the breast cancer community. The objectives of this study were to 1) increase clinician awareness of dragon boat racing (DBR) in breast cancer survivors as a community-based physical activity, and 2) evaluate quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors with or without lymphedema who participate in DBR. This prospective, observational study surveyed 1,069 international breast cancer dragon boat racers from eight countries to compare function, activity, and participation in women with and without self-reported lymphedema using the Lymph-ICF questionnaire. Seventy-one percent of women (n=758) completed the questionnaires. Results revealed significantly higher Lymph-ICF scores in the lymphedema participants, signifying reduced QOL, when compared to the nonlymphedema participants (p<0.05), except for "go on vacation" for which no statistical difference was reported (p=0.20). International breast cancer survivors with lymphedema participating in DBR at an international competition had reduced function, limited activity, and restricted participation compared to participants without lymphedema. Clinicians should consider utilizing DBR as a community-based activity to support exercise and physical activity after a breast cancer diagnosis.

“We Can Talk While We’re Walking”: Seeking the Views of Adults With Intellectual Disability to Inform a Walking and Social-Support Program

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Brooker ◽  
Allyson Mutch ◽  
Lyn McPherson ◽  
Robert Ware ◽  
Nick Lennox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
Normative Factors

To better understand how physical activity programs may contribute to improved health and social-support outcomes for people with intellectual disability, the authors conducted semistructured interviews with 11 people with intellectual disability and community-based volunteers in Brisbane, Australia. Three broad themes emerged: individual factors that generally facilitated activity, external factors that posed barriers to participation, and broader normative factors that directed participation. A key reflection arising out of the thematic analysis was that participants with intellectual disability and volunteers highlighted subtle but pervasive differences in barriers and facilitators to being active. Recommendations are provided for interventions aiming to improve physical activity and social support among those with intellectual disability. The authors’ research process demonstrates the utility of seeking the views of potential participants before program rollout to inform implementation and demonstrates the usefulness of a qualitative, actively inclusive approach to health interventions.

scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of a Community-Based Physical Activity and Yoga Program for Men Living With Prostate Cancer: Survivor Perspectives

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 216495611983748 ◽  
Author(s):  
SN Culos-Reed ◽  
M Dew ◽  
J Shank ◽  
DM Langelier ◽  
M McDonough
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Program Improvement ◽  
Patient Perspectives ◽  
Effective Characteristics ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Prostate Cancer Survivors ◽  
Positive Effects

Purpose Physical activity (PA) programs for prostate cancer survivors have positive effects on many aspects of health-related quality of life. Translating this research into sustainable community-based settings is necessary to ensure access to programs for survivors. This study examines patient perspectives in the community-based TrueNTH Lifestyle Management (TrueNTH LM) program in Calgary, Canada. Methods Eleven men from programs at civic wellness centers participated in 2 small semistructured focus groups (n = 5 and 6) at the University of Calgary. Motivation for program initiation and adherence, benefits and barriers to participation, and individual satisfaction and feedback on program improvement were discussed. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using thematic methodology guided by a pragmatic philosophy on the patient experience in the program. Results Themes identified included perceived benefits of participating (physical, psychological, and social), facilitators for involvement in the PA program (program design, initial free access, tailored to prostate cancer specific needs, psychosocial environment), and opportunities for improvement and sustainability (exercise as a part of standard care, cost structure, home-based options). Conclusions These findings provide valuable insight into patient perspectives on effective characteristics of prostate cancer and exercise programs. TrueNTH LM has implemented findings, and ensuring needs (benefits and barriers) are addressed for prostate cancer survivors when entering community-based PA programs.

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