ASPO Abstracts
A mobile health (mHealth) intervention for promoting physical activity and decreasing sedentary time among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors: A Pilot RCT
Category: Survivorship & Health Outcomes/Comparative Effectiveness Research
Conference Year: 2019
Abstract Body:
Purpose. Effective physical activity (PA) interventions for AYA cancer survivors are sparse, but necessary to prevent chronic disease and improve quality of life. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the feasibility of a mHealth intervention to promote PA among AYA survivors.Methods. We recruited survivors aged 18-39 years, who were ≥1 and <5 years post-cancer therapy, from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. The 12-week intervention consisted of a wearable PA-tracking device (Fitbit Flex), a private, invitation-only Facebook group, weekly goal setting activities with research staff based on step counts, and a “buddy” (friend or relative) who received a Fitbit to provide encouragement to the participant. Research staff awarded step count badges and moderated PA-discussions on the Facebook group weekly. Controls received the Fitbit only. Baseline assessments occurred before randomization and follow-up assessments occurred during weeks 10-12 of the intervention period. Feasibility criteria were identified prior to the RCT and defined below. Exploratory analyses examined changes in accelerometer-measured PA between baseline and follow-up, adjusting for enrollment wave, accelerometer wear time, race/ethnicity, and income. We categorized Facebook group engagement according to the number of views, likes, comments, and posts.Results. All feasibility criteria were met: 50 AYA survivors were recruited, intervention participants wore the Fitbit the majority (82.9%) of intervention days, and >75% of participants completed questionnaires. There was a significant reduction from baseline to follow up in mean sedentary time (59.7 minute/day; p<0.001) in the intervention compared to the control group. Participants in the intervention group who were very engaged on the Facebook group had an average of 142.7 [95% CI: 101.6, 387.0] fewer minutes/day of sedentary time compared to those who were not engaged. There was no difference in the mean change from baseline to follow-up in moderate-to-vigorous PA (p=0.32) or light PA (p=0.18) between the treatment groups. Conclusions. This mHealth PA intervention was feasible among AYA cancer survivors and resulted in significant decreases in sedentary time. Findings require confirmation in a fully powered RCT.
Keywords: Physical activity, survivorship, mobile health, randomized controlled trial, AYA