Barriers to and enablers of physical activity participation in lung cancer survivors.
Julia Fram, Kathleen Boss, Victoria Villaflor and 1 others
PMID 38874321WHAT IT FOUND
Most lung cancer survivors in this survey did not meet exercise guidelines, citing fatigue and breathlessness as main barriers.
Despite this, 63% were interested in community exercise programs, preferring walking and exercising alone. Higher income and self-efficacy were linked to more activity.
Key findings
01Only 12% of lung cancer survivors met national physical activity guidelines, with fatigue (49%) and dyspnea (39%) cited as the most common barriers.
02A majority (63.4%) of participants expressed interest in community-based group exercise programs, with walking (78.9%) being the preferred activity and many preferring to exercise alone (36.5%).
03Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was significantly associated with higher self-efficacy, higher income, and better patient-reported physical function.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that the identified factors cause changes in physical activity. Data was self-reported, which is vulnerable to recall bias and may overestimate activity levels. The sample was recruited from a single academic center, limiting generalizability to other settings or populations. No power analysis was performed, and the convenience sample size of 100 may not capture the full range of survivor experiences. The study did not collect data on those who declined participation, introducing potential self-selection bias. Preferences were analyzed for the cohort as a whole, so it is unclear if active and sedentary patients have distinct preferences.
Declared interests
The study was funded by a seed grant from the Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities and the Center for Community Health at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. One author receives support from the National Institutes of Health. All authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that interest in a group program translates to a preference for group dynamics. While 63.4% were interested in community-based programs, a larger proportion (36.5%) preferred to exercise alone, and walking was the dominant preference. A rigid group-only intervention may miss the majority of the population's actual comfort zone.