Background Pedometers have been shown to improve adherence to exercise programmes. Evidence suggests that PA can improve physical function, wellbeing and reduce the negative impact of some cancer related side-effects. Yet, there are limited PA guidelines for cancer patients in the UK. The aim was to examine the impact of an 8-week exercise programme on sustaining physical activity (PA) at 3-month follow-up. Method A qualitative study with 12 mixed site cancer patients aged 43-70 (10 women, 2 men), involved in an 8-week exercise programme. The Programme took place at a University in the South West of England, UK. Semi-structured interviews with patients took place 3 times over 6 months. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data. Results We found that the number of patients perceived to be physically active prior to take-up of the physical activity programme were low (20%). At completion, most patients reported being physically active (84%), sustained but to a lesser extent (67%) at 3-month follow-up. Explanations for sustained PA at follow-up included application of knowledge gained from the Programme in relation to walking technique and use of pedometers and perceived health and fitness gains. Explanations for those not physically active included new diagnosis, reduced mobility following surgery and lack of clear exit route or progression to another structured opportunity. Conclusion Our study has provided valuable insight into how a supervised multi-modal physical activity programme can enable recovering cancer patients to develop a physically active lifestyle.

Aim:The aim of this study was to examine the perceived changes in quality of life (QoL) for a group of recovering cancer patients, following 6 months of physical activity. Background: Evidence suggests that physical activity can improve the QoL of recovering cancer patients, reducing many of the side-effects of cancer and its related treatments, including depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, with an improvement in physical and psychological health. Method: A qualitative study with 14 mixed site cancer patients aged 43-70 (12 women, 2 men). The intervention was in 2 parts the first part was an 8-week physical activity programme, the second part related to a period of non-supervised, physical activity for 4 months (6 months in total). The programme took place at a University in the South West of England, UK. Semi-structured interviews with patients took place 3 times over 6 months. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data. Results: We found that prior to the 6-month physical activity intervention many of the patients were anxious about being able to complete the initial 8 week programme. Anxieties related to low self-esteem and the chronic fatigue resulting from their cancer treatment. Consequently, several patients expressed concerns about their ability to help themselves self-manage their recovery through physical activity. On completion of the intervention the majority of patients described improvements in their perceived QoL in terms of their ability to self-manage and to engage in their self-efficacy, reporting increased energy levels and decreases in chronic fatigue. Conclusion: Our study has provided valuable insights into how the perceived QoL of a group of recovering cancer patients can be improved through a combined 6-month period of supervised and independent physical activity. These findings serve as further evidence of the effectiveness of a person-centered healthcare approach for recovering cancer patients.

Rationale, aims and objectives: Uptake and adherence to physical activity (PA) programmes for recovering cancer patients remain low with only 20% of patients meeting the UK guidelines of 150 minutes a week. The aim of our study was to examine the support systems that enabled a group of cancer patients to sustain PA for 6 months.Method: Fourteen mixed site cancer patients aged 43-70 (11 women, 3 men) participated in a 2-phase PA intervention that took place at a University in the South West of England, UK. The intervention consisted of an 8-week structured exercise programme and a 4-month period of independent PA. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the data and a grounded theory approach was used for the analysis.Results: We found that different types of support were required for each stage of the intervention. Internal support was necessary while undertaking a structured PA programme. External support was necessary to sustain PA to 4-month follow-up. The two aspects of internal support were identified that enabled the patients to adhere to the programme; support from exercise professionals and peer support from patients on the programme. External support that enabled the patients to sustain independent PA to 4-month follow-up was support from close partners or from a spouse.Conclusions: Our study has provided valuable insight into internal support systems that enable recovering mixed-site cancer patients to adhere to a structured PA programme and external support from close relationships to sustain independent PA for an additional 4 months.

DisclaimerThe University of Gloucestershire has obtained warranties from all depositors as to their title in the material deposited and as to their right to deposit such material.The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation or warranties of commercial utility, title, or fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranty, express or implied in respect of any material deposited.The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation that the use of the materials will not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other property or proprietary rights.The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual property rights in any material deposited but will remove such material from public view pending investigation in the event of an allegation of any such infringement. We recommend you cite the published (post-print) version.The URL for the published version is http://ubplj.org/index.php/ejpch/article/view/1006 DisclaimerThe University of Gloucestershire has obtained warranties from all depositors as to their title in the material deposited and as to their right to deposit such material.The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation or warranties of commercial utility, title, or fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranty, express or implied in respect of any material deposited.The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation that the use of the materials will not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other property or proprietary rights.The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual property rights in any material deposited but will remove such material from public view pending investigation in the event of an allegation of any such infringement. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR TEXT.Europe a n J ourna l for Pe rson Ce nt e re d H e a lt hc a re 2 0 1 5 V ol 3 I ssue 3 pp 3 6 9 -3 76 Abst ra c t Objectives: Limited and contradictory evidence exists on the long-term effectiveness of exercise referral schemes (ERS) for physical activity promotion and its impact on perceived health status. The intention of this study was to investigate patients' views of a physical activity intervention on their self-assessed health status, a key component of person-centered healthcare. Methods: A longitudinal qualitative study design was employed with 12 patients aged 55-74 attending a primary care physical activity intervention. Semi-structured interviews took place on 3 occasions over a 12 month period in a Primary Care Health Centre. Transcripts of recorded interviews were coded and thematically analysed using grounded theory techniques. 369 ARTICLE Long-t e rm e nga ge m e nt w it h a pra c t ic e -ba se d e x e rc ise re fe rra l sc he m e : Pa t ie nt s' pe rc e pt ions of e ffe c t ive ne ss Results:The majority of patients believed that their engagement with the Scheme and resultant long-term increase in physical activity behaviour, helped to improve their health status. This was evident through i...

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