A Technology-based Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity Among Post-treatment Cancer Survivors

NCT05631587 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UW 21485
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 98
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Cancer survivors generally have low physical activity (PA) levels. While literature shows some evidence of improvement in PA following technology-based PA promotion interventions among cancer survivors, high-quality randomised control trials (RCTs), with objective measures of PA and longer-term follow-up, are lacking. Using a theoretical framework that addresses action control in addition to intention formation may enhance intervention effect. The Multi-process action control (M-PAC) framework is an extension of the traditional intention-formation theories, incorporating constructs that address the translation of intention into behaviour and continual action control. After comprehensively searching, no previous or ongoing RCTs have investigated the efficacy of a technology-based PA promotion intervention in cancer survivors that is designed based on the M-PAC framework. Investigators therefore propose a RCT to evaluate a technology-based intervention (WExercise) to support the promotion of PA in cancer survivors.

Conditions

Cancer; Survivorship

Keywords

cancer survivor; physical activity; website

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in aerobic exercise behaviour (objective measure)

  Measured as time spent in moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise using accelerometer

  Measure at Baseline (Week 0), Post-intervention (Week 11), 3 months post-intervention (Week 23). Each time point will measure 7 full consecutive days and average time (minutes) per day spent in moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise will be reported.

• Change in aerobic exercise behaviour (subjective measure)

  Measured by the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (Min and Max NA; higher scores represent higher aerobic exercise level)

  Measure at Baseline (Week 0), Post-intervention (Week 11), 3 months post-intervention (Week 23). Self-reported minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise will be recorded.

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in exercise capacity

  Measure at Baseline (Week 0), Post-intervention (Week 11), 3 months post-intervention (Week 23).

• Change in cancer-specific Quality of life

  Measure at Baseline (Week 0), Post-intervention (Week 11), 3 months post-intervention (Week 23).

• Change in key components of M-PAC framework

  Measure at Baseline (Week 0), Mid-intervention (Week 5), Post-intervention (Week 11), 3 months post-intervention (Week 23).

• Application usage

  Measure at post-intervention (Week 11)

Study Arms (2)

Intervention condition (WExercise)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive a written information sheet (i.e., PA guide, safety precautions, and goal) same as the control group. In addition, participants in the WExercise group will be provided with 10 weekly technology-based classes delivered in a mobile application aimed at promoting PA. Participants will be given individualised access to the app. The classes aim at developing reflective, regulatory, and reflexive processes of cancer survivors to engage in PA based on the M-PAC framework. Participants will be sent reminders (3 days apart) by WhatsApp/WeChat each time they have a class due.

Behavioral: WExercise

Control condition (Self-directed exercise)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive a one-page written information sheet regarding the PA guidelines for cancer survivors and exercise safety precautions extracted from the website of the Centre for Health Protection of the HKSAR Government. Although mixed aerobic and resistance exercise are recommended, participants will be provided with a simple goal of increasing their aerobic exercise levels to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week because resistance exercise requires instructions from trained personnel.

Behavioral: Control

Interventions

WExercise BEHAVIORAL

A 10-weekly technology-based intervention delivered in a mobile application using the M-PAC framework to promote PA in post-treatment cancer survivors. Participants will be given individualised access to the app. Participants will be sent reminders (3 days apart) by WhatsApp/WeChat each time they have a class due.

Intervention condition (WExercise)

Control BEHAVIORAL

A control group receiving an information sheet for self-directed exercise.

Control condition (Self-directed exercise)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• ≥18 years of age
• completion of primary treatment (surgery/chemo-/radiation therapy) of curative intent for at least 12 months,
• no metastasis, no recurrence
• not meeting the recommended PA guideline (\<150 min of moderate intensity aerobic exercise and \<75 min of vigorous aerobic exercise per week)
• access to Internet
• able to read Chinese and communicate in Cantonese or Putonghua
• screened by a nurse as no contraindications for engaging in unsupervised exercise using a risk screening tool

You may not qualify if:

• have a psychiatric disorder
• significant cognitive impairment
• a history of more than one cancer

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead
• University of Victoria: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Queen Mary Hospital

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Rhodes RE. Chapter Five - The Evolving Understanding of Physical Activity Behavior: A Multi-Process Action Control Approach. In: Elliot AJ, editor. Advances in Motivation Science. 4: Elsevier; 2017. p. 171-205.

  BACKGROUND

• Gutteridge JM, Toeg D. Iron-dependent free radical damage to DNA and deoxyribose. Separation of TBA-reactive intermediates. Int J Biochem. 1982;14(10):891-3. doi: 10.1016/0020-711x(82)90071-4.

  PMID: 6290280 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Denise Cheung, PhD

  The University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: A two-arm, assessor-blinded RCT examining the effect of a website for physical activity promotion in cancer survivors (WExercise)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 7, 2022
• First Posted: November 30, 2022
• Study Start: December 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2024
• Study Completion: May 31, 2024
• Last Updated: May 28, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (1)