For cancer survivors, moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) is associated with up to 50% reductions in cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. Previous studies also consistently demonstrate that MVPA improves cancer survivor's' physical function and quality of life. However, recent estimates suggest that only 14.2% of cancer survivors engage in the amount of MVPA considered necessary to achieve these health benefits, indicating a need for effective and wide-reaching interventions to increase MVPA.
Supervised interventions that utilize behavior change techniques like goal setting, social support, self-monitoring, action planning, and instruction on how to perform behavior, are most successful in increasing PA among cancer survivors. However, delivering these interventions face-to-face can be resource intensive, and present a barrier to cancer survivors in terms of access (e.g., no programs available nearby, and recently, due to social distancing requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic).
Web, text messaging, and other remote or distance-based PA interventions for cancer survivors demonstrate promise however they exhibit a smaller magnitude of effect on MVPA and physical and psychosocial outcomes than those that are delivered face-to-face. Key factors for this diminished effect size may be lower adherence/compliance due to lack of supervision, and fewer opportunities available for social interaction and support. Cancer survivors acknowledge the importance of peer support for PA, report that one of the quintessential facilitators for engaging in PA is the social benefit and describe camaraderie and the opportunity to be surrounded by others with a shared experience as motivating for being physically active.
The majority of remote or distance-based PA interventions for cancer survivors have been delivered asynchronously (i.e., occurs through online channels without real-time interaction), which eliminates direct supervision from a qualified exercise professional, and presents a challenge for tangible social connections. Conversely, virtually supervised PA interventions (i.e., using videoconferencing) are delivered synchronously, offering the opportunity for real-time supervision and social interaction, while retaining the scalability and reach advantages of remote delivery modalities. However, to date, there have been no large-scale, randomized controlled trials testing the efficacy of a group-based videoconference intervention to increase MVPA in cancer survivors. Videoconferencing can expand the reach of supervised, group-based interventions while potentially enhancing the effects of asynchronous distance-delivered modalities on MVPA, physical, and psychosocial outcomes. Thus, with the substantial, beneficial effects of PA for cancer survivors and the scalability potential of videoconference delivery, findings from this study stand to have high impact not only on the field of PA/exercise for cancer survivorship but can also inform similar interventions and programs for other chronic disease populations.
