Exercising Together: An intervention for prostate cancer survivors and spouses

描述(申请人提供)：建议研究的目的是探索“一起锻炼”--一项针对患有前列腺癌的已婚夫妇的结伴力量训练计划--对前列腺癌幸存者(PCS)及其配偶的身心健康和婚姻质量的好处。我们建议进行一项为期6个月的随机对照试验，包括两组：1)一起锻炼--一种渐进的、有监督的阻力锻炼计划；2)通常的护理对照条件。本探索性研究的主要目的是：1)确定配对力量训练对PCS的身心健康(客观测量身体功能、身体成分和自评身心健康)的影响；2)确定配对力量训练对配偶身心健康的影响；3)探讨配对力量训练对PCS和配偶的婚姻质量(不和谐、亲密关系、关系质量)的影响。这项拟议的研究具有创新性，因为它以一种独特的方式应用了锻炼，一种结伴力量训练形式，并首次研究了这种锻炼形式在慢性病患者和配偶中的可行性以及个人和夫妇层面的研究利益。这项拟议研究的长期目标是开发针对癌症幸存者及其家人特定健康需求的行为干预措施。这项申请符合国家癌症研究所2008年的战略目标，即投资于癌症幸存者及其家人长期健康的干预研究17，医学研究所关于预防老年癌症幸存者的功能障碍和残疾的建议，以及满足癌症幸存者家属的需求18，以及PA-06-351关于提高患者及其家人的存活率和促进幸存者的健康行为的建议。公共卫生相关性这项研究与公共卫生有关，因为所获得的知识将指导以证据为基础的干预措施的发展，以改善前列腺癌幸存者(PCS)及其配偶的健康。美国有170多万个人退休人员，其中大多数是年纪较大且已婚的人。运动有望改善癌症幸存者、他们的配偶的生活，并改善他们之间的健康关系，但一直没有得到充分的研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of the proposed study is to explore the benefits of "Exercising Together" - a partnered strength training program for married couples coping with prostate cancer - on the physical and emotional health of prostate cancer survivors (PCS) and their spouses and on marital quality. We propose to conduct a 6- month randomized controlled trial with two groups: 1) Exercising Together - a progressive, supervised resistance exercise program and 2) a usual care control condition. The primary specific aims of this exploratory study are to: 1) Determine the effect of partnered strength training on physical and emotional health (objectively measured physical function and body composition and self-report physical and mental health) in PCS, 2) Determine the effect of partnered strength training on physical and emotional health in spouses and 3) Explore the effect of partnered strength training on marital quality (incongruence, intimacy, relationship quality) of the PCS and spouse. The proposed study is innovative because it applies exercise in a unique fashion, a partnered strength training format, and is the first to study the feasibility of this exercise format in both the chronically ill patient and spouse and study benefits at the individual and couple level. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to develop behavioral interventions that target the specific health needs of cancer survivors and their families. This application addresses the National Cancer Institute's 2008 strategic goals to invest in intervention research on long-term health in cancer survivors and their families17, the Institute of Medicine recommendations about preventing dysfunction and disability in the growing population older cancer survivors as well as addressing the needs of the families of cancer survivors18 and, the PA-06-351 for enhancing survivorship for patients and their families and promoting healthy behaviors among survivors. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE This study is relevant to public health because the knowledge gained will guide the development of evidence- based interventions to improve the health of prostate cancer survivors (PCS) and their spouses. There are over 1.7 million PCS in the U.S., most of whom are older and married. Exercise holds promise to improve the lives of cancer survivors, their spouses and the health of their relationship but has been inadequately studied.