Community Volunteers Promoting Physical Activity Among Cancer Survivors

描述(由申请人提供)：研究环境中的研究表明，癌症幸存者采用体力活动可以改善他们的身体功能、生活质量、情绪和疲劳。作为将这些努力转化为社区环境的第一步，我们进行了一项试点研究，以检验由社区志愿者(具体地说，美国癌症协会当地办公室的Reach to Recovery[RTR]志愿者)为25名乳腺癌幸存者提供的基于电话的体育活动计划的可行性和初步效果。这是一项单组重复测量设计。该项目基于跨理论的行为改变模型和社会认知理论，在12周内提供；并在12周和24周评估结果。参与者报告称，与基线相比，12周和24周时，他们的体力活动显著增加，疲劳减少，生活质量提高。这项拟议的研究是一项随机对照试验，代表着我们将体力活动研究扩展到社区环境的下一步；社区志愿者将提供干预，从而使幸存者更容易获得体力活动干预。Miriam医院的研究人员将与国家ACS办公室(佐治亚州亚特兰大)和新英格兰ACS分部合作，分享他们的技能、经验和资源，以检验培训RTR志愿者为乳腺癌幸存者提供简短体力活动咨询的效果。15至20名RTR志愿者将接受培训，为108名乳腺癌幸存者提供为期12周的电话PA计划，作为12周RTR服务(RTR Plus)的补充，而不是向108名乳腺癌幸存者提供标准的12周RTR服务(RTR)。体力活动、疲劳和其他结果的评估将在基线、12周和24周完成。将跟踪有关干预的副作用和干预交付成本的数据。如果拟议的随机试验显示出积极的效果，结果将被用来设计和支持一项关于在社区环境下促进体力活动以促进癌症康复的效果的传播试验。与公共健康相关：在研究环境中提供体力活动计划，已被证明可以改善乳腺癌幸存者的生活质量，减少疲劳。我们计划在美国癌症协会(新英格兰分会)培训REACH to Recovery志愿者，为乳腺癌患者提供为期12周的电话体力活动计划(RTR Plus)。对照组患者将接受REACH to Recovery服务(RTR)。在项目开始时，将在12周和24周对108名乳腺癌患者进行体力活动、疲劳和其他结果的检查。如果体力活动计划被发现是有效的，那么有可能在美国各地的13,000名恢复志愿者中传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Studies in research settings have demonstrated that physical activity adoption among cancer survivors can improve their physical functioning, quality of life, mood and fatigue. As a first step towards translating these efforts into a community-setting, we conducted a pilot study to examine the feasibility and preliminary effects of a telephone-based physical activity program offered by community volunteers (specifically, Reach to Recovery [RTR] volunteers of the local office of the American Cancer Society [ACS]) to 25 breast cancer survivors. This was a single group repeated measures design. The program based on the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change and Social Cognitive Theory was offered over 12 weeks; and outcomes were assessed at 12 and 24 weeks. Participants' reported significant increases in physical activity, reductions in fatigue and improvement in quality of life at 12 and 24 weeks compared to baseline. The proposed study, a randomized controlled trial, represents the next step in our efforts to extend the research on physical activity to the community setting; community volunteers will deliver the intervention, thereby making physical activity interventions much more accessible to survivors. In partnership with the National ACS office (Atlanta, GA) and the New England ACS Division, researchers at the Miriam Hospital will share their skills, experience and resources to examine the effects of training RTR volunteers to deliver brief physical activity counseling to breast cancer survivors. Fifteen to twenty RTR volunteers will be trained to offer a 12-week telephone-based PA program as a supplement to 12- week RTR services (RTR Plus) vs. delivering the standard 12-week RTR services (RTR) to 108 breast cancer survivors. Assessments of physical activity, fatigue and other outcomes will be completed at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks. Data on side-effects of the intervention and costs of intervention delivery will be tracked. If the proposed randomized trial demonstrates positive effects, the results will be used to design and support a dissemination trial of the effects of physical activity promotion to enhance cancer recovery in a community setting. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Physical activity programs, when offered in research settings, have been shown to improve quality of life and reduce fatigue among breast cancer survivors. We plan to train Reach to Recovery volunteers at the American Cancer Society (New England Division) to provide a 12-week telephone-based physical activity program (RTR Plus) for breast cancer patients. The comparison group of patients will receive Reach to Recovery services (RTR). Physical activity, fatigue and other outcomes will be examined among 108 breast cancer patients at the start of the program, at 12 weeks and 24 weeks. If the physical activity program is found to be effective, there is a potential for dissemination among the 13,000 Reach to Recovery volunteers across the U.S.