ABSTRACT
Background: To promote physical activity in post-treatment cancer survivors, a mobile application WExercise was developed using the Multi-Process Action Control Framework. It contains 10 weekly online lesson to facilitate reflective, regulatory, and reflexive processes to help participants to form and sustain physical activity behavior. Objectives: To test the usability and acceptability of WExercise in post-treatment cancer survivors. Methods: This study involved four phases: (1) preparing application content, (2) expert panel review (comprising oncology healthcare workers, exercise specialists, and behavior change researchers), (3) developing the app, and (4) usability test. The usability test was conducted cross-sectionally using direct observation of application navigation tasks, a quantitative survey, and qualitative interviews among 10 post-treatment cancer survivors. Results: In Phase 2, the expert panel rated the application highly on relevance, accuracy, comprehensiveness, meaningfulness, and easiness to understand (average score = 3.83 out of 4). The application was developed accordingly. In Phase 4, the System Usability Score was 75 %, greater than the cut-off point. Participants gave the items assessing acceptance of the application positive ratings (e.g., satisfaction = 4.30 out of 5). Based on the performance and feedback, the application was modified, including adjusting the font size and improving the visualization of buttons. Conclusion: Overall, experts and potential users considered the application relevant, usable, and acceptable. It has the full potential for further testing in a larger trial for its effectiveness in promoting physical activity in cancer survivors.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of qigong Baduanjin for reversing frailty status among older cancer survivors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight older cancer survivors screened as pre-frail or frail were recruited. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a sixteen-week Baduanjin intervention or an active control condition (light flexibility exercise). Frailty status (primary outcome) and secondary outcomes (physical performance, activities of daily living performance, psychological well-being, and health-related quality of life) were measured by physical performance tests and questionnaires. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants' perspectives on the intervention. RESULTS: Twenty-one participants (75%) completed the study, with reasons of withdrawal mainly relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance at Baduanjin sessions and adherence to self-practice were satisfactory, with all retained participants attending all sessions and 81.8% practicing Baduanjin for more than 90 min per week. Qualitative findings demonstrated that participants accepted Baduanjin. The proportion of improvement in frailty status at post-intervention appeared to be higher in the intervention group (26.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.1% to 54.0%) than the control group (15.4%; 95% CI, 3.7% to 46.0%); yet the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.461). CONCLUSIONS: Baduanjin qigong appears to be feasible and acceptable among older cancer survivors. To confirm the intervention effect, an adequately powered trial is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04694066. Retrospectively registered 5 January 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04694066.