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Home / 2018 / May / 02 / Let’s get physical: Breast cancer survivors on the move
Health

Let’s get physical: Breast cancer survivors on the move

May 2, 2018

UBC Okanagan research shows community and cash motivates

Physical activity is an effective way to help improve the many mental and physical side effects of breast cancer treatment. Yet, studies show up to 70 per cent of breast cancer survivors are not getting enough activity.

This may be about to change thanks to new research from UBC’s Okanagan campus that demonstrates that financial support and incentives are effective in increasing physical activity among breast cancer survivors.

Called Project MOVE, the program offers ‘action grants’—a combination of microgrants up to $2,000 and additional financial incentives—to prompt and sustain physical activity.

“Many of the available programs such as dragon boating, yoga and hiking are seen as exclusive and may not be of interest to all women treated for breast cancer,” says principal investigator, Cristina Caperchione, associate professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences. “Our approach supported community-based initiatives designed and implemented by breast cancer survivors themselves. Groups developed their interventions based on their own needs and preferences, and these reflected any unique circumstances and barriers that limited them from being active.”

Caperchione adds that the action grant scheme has long been used to stimulate personal growth and improve access to social and health services. With this in mind, Project MOVE used the microgrant model to make physical activity more accessible and enjoyable for breast cancer survivors.

From can’t to can do

Caperchione and her colleagues invited breast cancer groups to submit microgrant applications, which outlined their physical activity initiatives. A review panel identified successful applicants and provided funding for their proposed activities.

The effectiveness, acceptability and satisfaction of the program were evaluated at 6 and 12 months. More than 86 per cent of the participants were satisfied with their program, 70 per cent learned about new physical activities and more than 96 per cent agreed that Project MOVE was appropriate for breast cancer survivors. Many participants were confident that they would continue with physical activity following positive experiences with the project.

“One of our key findings is that Project MOVE offered an opportunity for women to be active with others in a similar position,” says co-author Joan Bottorff, professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing. “This fostered social support and helped build autonomy and confidence in their ability to be physically active. The participants changed their outlook from being physically limited to capable.”

Caperchione adds that the benefits of exercise cannot be understated.

“Physical activity has been associated with numerous health benefits for cancer survivors including weight management, reduced pain and fatigue, reduced depression and anxiety, reduced mortality and breast cancer reoccurrence.”

“This approach may lead to similar physical activity interventions for diverse cancer survivors, because it has the potential to accommodate a wide range of interests and needs,” she says.

The study, published in Psycho-Oncology was supported by funds from the Canadian Cancer Society.

Cristina Caperchione, associate professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences.

Cristina Caperchione, associate professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences.

About breast cancer

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women. Most often, breast cancer starts in cells that line the ducts and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

Media Contact

Christine Zeindler
Communications Specialist
University Relations

The University of British Columbia
Okanagan campus
Tel: 250 807 8470
E-mail: christine.zeindler@ubc.ca

Content type: Media Release
More content from: Faculty of Health and Social Development, School of Engineering, School of Health and Exercise Sciences

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About UBC Okanagan

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose traditional, ancestral and unceded territory the campus resides. The most established and influential global rankings all consistently place UBC in the top five per cent of universities in the world, and among the top three Canadian universities.

The Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world in British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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