Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trial
Abstract Background Women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer (WBC) encounter barriers engaging in adequate physical activity (PA). Pairing WBC with PA partners is a feasible approach to promote social support, potentially increasing PA levels. However, WBC may not perceive to have the e...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01131-4 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850138966102114304 |
|---|---|
| author | Ross M. Murray Erin O’Loughlin Jenna Smith-Turchyn Angela J. Fong Meghan H. McDonough Daniel Santa Mina Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos Linda Trinh Jennifer M. Jones Jackie L. Bender S. Nicole Culos‐Reed Jennifer R. Tomasone Madison F. Vani Catherine M. Sabiston |
| author_facet | Ross M. Murray Erin O’Loughlin Jenna Smith-Turchyn Angela J. Fong Meghan H. McDonough Daniel Santa Mina Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos Linda Trinh Jennifer M. Jones Jackie L. Bender S. Nicole Culos‐Reed Jennifer R. Tomasone Madison F. Vani Catherine M. Sabiston |
| author_sort | Ross M. Murray |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer (WBC) encounter barriers engaging in adequate physical activity (PA). Pairing WBC with PA partners is a feasible approach to promote social support, potentially increasing PA levels. However, WBC may not perceive to have the expertise required to facilitate PA behavior. As such, providing access to a Qualified Exercise Professional (QEP) may help facilitate PA within dyads. To date, the impact of including a QEP in peer-based interventions remains unclear. Methods A two-arm randomized controlled trial (n = 108) was designed to compare a virtual peer and QEP-supported intervention group (MatchQEP: n = 54) to a control group matched only with a peer (Match: n = 54) on moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). The association between social support within peer dyads and MVPA, and the impact of partners’ level of MVPA on individual MVPA were also examined. Participants in the MatchQEP condition met with the QEP and their partner on Zoom once per week for 10 weeks. Those in the Match condition were encouraged to independently communicate with and support their assigned partner over 10 weeks. Analyses involved descriptive statistics, regression analyses, and Actor Partner Interdependence models. Results Social support significantly related to MVPA, irrespective of intervention group. The addition of a QEP did not yield additional benefits in increasing MVPA levels. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models reveal that partners’ PA behaviors did not significantly impact individual MVPA levels. Conclusion These findings underscore the significance of social support from partners in promoting MVPA among WBC, emphasizing the need for interventions focusing on supportive partner relationships. By leveraging social support between partners, interventions can better address the unique needs of WBC, ultimately improving their health and well-being. Trial registration Connecting Breast Cancer Survivors for Exercise (C4E), Trial Registration Number: NCT04771975, 28/02/2020. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-824ea9e28be14a1999aa9acdec3041c2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2052-1847 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation |
| spelling | doaj-art-824ea9e28be14a1999aa9acdec3041c22025-08-20T02:30:27ZengBMCBMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation2052-18472025-04-0117111510.1186/s13102-025-01131-4Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trialRoss M. Murray0Erin O’Loughlin1Jenna Smith-Turchyn2Angela J. Fong3Meghan H. McDonough4Daniel Santa Mina5Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos6Linda Trinh7Jennifer M. Jones8Jackie L. Bender9S. Nicole Culos‐Reed10Jennifer R. Tomasone11Madison F. Vani12Catherine M. Sabiston13University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoMcMaster UniversityRutgers UniversityUniversity of CalgaryUniversity of TorontoUniversity of TorontoUniversity of TorontoUniversity Health NetworkUniversity Health NetworkUniversity of CalgaryQueens UniversityUniversity of TorontoUniversity of TorontoAbstract Background Women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer (WBC) encounter barriers engaging in adequate physical activity (PA). Pairing WBC with PA partners is a feasible approach to promote social support, potentially increasing PA levels. However, WBC may not perceive to have the expertise required to facilitate PA behavior. As such, providing access to a Qualified Exercise Professional (QEP) may help facilitate PA within dyads. To date, the impact of including a QEP in peer-based interventions remains unclear. Methods A two-arm randomized controlled trial (n = 108) was designed to compare a virtual peer and QEP-supported intervention group (MatchQEP: n = 54) to a control group matched only with a peer (Match: n = 54) on moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). The association between social support within peer dyads and MVPA, and the impact of partners’ level of MVPA on individual MVPA were also examined. Participants in the MatchQEP condition met with the QEP and their partner on Zoom once per week for 10 weeks. Those in the Match condition were encouraged to independently communicate with and support their assigned partner over 10 weeks. Analyses involved descriptive statistics, regression analyses, and Actor Partner Interdependence models. Results Social support significantly related to MVPA, irrespective of intervention group. The addition of a QEP did not yield additional benefits in increasing MVPA levels. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models reveal that partners’ PA behaviors did not significantly impact individual MVPA levels. Conclusion These findings underscore the significance of social support from partners in promoting MVPA among WBC, emphasizing the need for interventions focusing on supportive partner relationships. By leveraging social support between partners, interventions can better address the unique needs of WBC, ultimately improving their health and well-being. Trial registration Connecting Breast Cancer Survivors for Exercise (C4E), Trial Registration Number: NCT04771975, 28/02/2020.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01131-4ExerciseConnectednessDyadOncologySocial support |
| spellingShingle | Ross M. Murray Erin O’Loughlin Jenna Smith-Turchyn Angela J. Fong Meghan H. McDonough Daniel Santa Mina Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos Linda Trinh Jennifer M. Jones Jackie L. Bender S. Nicole Culos‐Reed Jennifer R. Tomasone Madison F. Vani Catherine M. Sabiston Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trial BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation Exercise Connectedness Dyad Oncology Social support |
| title | Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: a two-arm randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity a two arm randomized controlled trial |
| topic | Exercise Connectedness Dyad Oncology Social support |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01131-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rossmmurray connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT erinoloughlin connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT jennasmithturchyn connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT angelajfong connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT meghanhmcdonough connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT danielsantamina connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT kellyparbournicitopoulos connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT lindatrinh connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT jennifermjones connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT jackielbender connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT snicoleculosreed connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT jenniferrtomasone connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT madisonfvani connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT catherinemsabiston connectingwomenwhoarediagnosedandtreatedforbreastcancertoengageinphysicalactivityatwoarmrandomizedcontrolledtrial |