ASPO Abstracts
Facilitators of nutrition and exercise interventions among individuals with a history of breast cancer under the COVID-19 era
Category: Lifestyles Behavior, Energy Balance & Chemoprevention
Conference Year: 2023
Abstract Body:
Purpose: Nutrition and exercise are vital components of breast cancer (BC) care. This study aimed to investigate the facilitators associated with participating in nutrition and exercise intervention programming among people with a history of BC. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to participants who were 18 years or older and diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or Stage I-IV BC from 2019 to 2021. Participants were recruited during routine oncology appointments at a Midwestern cancer center. Qualitative data from an open-ended question querying facilitators to participating in a combined exercise and nutrition intervention program was extracted and summarized. A total of 224 participants participated in our study. 130 participants completed the survey prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and 94 participants completed it after the start of the pandemic (March 2020 or later). As such, subset descriptive analysis to compare pre-COVID to post-COVID responses was performed. Results: Seventy percent of participants responded to the open-ended question regarding facilitators (pre-COVID: 84/130; post-COVID: 72/94). Awareness, timing of being notified, convenience (e.g., location, time of day), customization, program design, peer support, and an encouraging environment were the most stated facilitators. There was a significant increase in a desire for program customization/personalization as a facilitator from pre- to post-COVID (p<0.01). Although not statistically significant, offering peer support and creating an encouraging environment doubled as reported facilitators from pre- to post-COVID. A framework that grouped and summarized the reported facilitators was developed to help visualize program facilitating strategies. Conclusion: Various facilitators related to participation in nutrition and exercise interventions were reported by a sample of individuals with a BC history, which may guide the development of future nutrition and exercise interventions during the COVID-19 era. Future research and intervention planning should incorporate strategies inspired by the reported facilitators, as relevant to basic operations, recruitment, design, participant-centered information, delivery and retention of nutrition and exercise programming.
Keywords: Keywords: participation facilitators, nutrition, exercise, interventions, breast cancer