BackgroundThe short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-sf) is a validated questionnaire used to assess physical activity (PA) in healthy adults and commonly used in both apparently healthy adults and cancer patients. However, the IPAQ-sf has not been previously validated in cancer patients undergoing oncologic treatment. The objective of the present study was to compare IPAQ-sf with objective measures of physical activity (PA) in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.MethodsThe present study was part of a 12-month prospective individualized lifestyle intervention focusing on diet, PA, stress management and smoking cessation in 100 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. During the first two months of the lifestyle intervention, participants were wearing an activity monitor (SenseWear™ Armband (SWA)) for five consecutive days while receiving chemotherapy before completing the IPAQ-sf. From SWA, Moderate-to-Vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) in bouts ≥10 min was compared with self-reported MVPA from the IPAQ-sf. Analyses both included and excluded walking in MVPA from the IPAQ-sf. Results were extrapolated to a wearing time of seven days.ResultsSixty-six patients completed IPAQ-sf and wore the SWA over five days. Mean difference and limit of agreement between the IPAQ-sf and SWA including walking was 662 (±1719) min.wk−1. When analyzing time spent in the different intensity levels separately, IPAQ-sf reported significantly higher levels of moderate (602 min.wk−1, p = 0.001) and vigorous (60 min.wk−1, p = 0.001) PA compared to SWA.ConclusionsCancer patients participating in a lifestyle intervention during chemotherapy reported 366 % higher MVPA level from the past seven days using IPAQ-sf compared to objective measures. The IPAQ-sf appears insufficient when assessing PA level in cancer patients undergoing oncologic treatment. Activity monitors or other objective tools should alternatively be considered, when assessing PA in this population.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13102-016-0035-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

ObjectiveKnowledge about determinants of participation in lifestyle interventions in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, particularly with palliative intent, remains poor. The objective of the present study was to identify determinants of participating in a 12 month individualized, comprehensive lifestyle intervention, focusing on diet, physical activity, mental stress and smoking cessation, in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy with curative or palliative intent. The secondary objective was to identify participation determinants 4 months into the study.MethodsNewly diagnosed cancer patients starting chemotherapy at the cancer center in Kristiansand/Norway (during a 16 month inclusion period) were screened. Demographic and medical data (age, sex, body mass index, education level, marital status, smoking status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG), diagnosis, tumor stage and treatment intention) was analyzed for screened patients.Results100 of 161 invited patients participated. There were more females (69 vs. 48%; P = 0.004), breast cancer patients (46 vs. 25%; P = 0.007), non-smokers (87 vs. 74%; P = 0.041), younger (mean age 60 vs. 67 yrs; P < 0.001) and fitter (82 vs. 64% with EGOC 0; P = 0.036) participants vs. non-participants included. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, age (Odds Ratio 0.94, 95% Confidence Interval 0.91, 0.97) and smoking (0.42, 0.18, 0.99) were negatively associated with participation. After 4 months, 63 participants were still participating. Cancer type, smoking and age increased the probability of dropping out. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that age was the only significant determinant of 4 month participation (0.95, 0.91, 0.99). Patients aged >70 years were less likely to participate at baseline and 4 months.ConclusionIndividualized lifestyle interventions in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy appear to facilitate a high participation rate that declines with increasing age; both during the enrollment process and completing the intervention. Neither oncologic nor socioeconomic variables deterred participation.

Healthcare professionals should have the patients' individual needs in mind when implementing lifestyle interventions, and the timing of lifestyle interventions should be implemented thoughtfully in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy in an adjuvant setting. Furthermore, the participants' experiences described here are valuable for the design of future lifestyle intervention studies.

Background Lifestyle interventions seem promising with regard to cancer patients' potential for physical and psychological health benefits and as an empowerment tool. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge concerning cancer patients' longer-term experiences of participating in comprehensive lifestyle interventions. Objective The aim of this study was to explore cancer patients' long-term experiences of participating in a 12-month individualized comprehensive lifestyle intervention study focusing on physical activity, diet, smoking cessation, and stress management while receiving curative or palliative chemotherapy. Methods A qualitative design with semistructured interviews of 7 curative and 7 palliative cancer patients was conducted 12 months after inclusion in lifestyle intervention. Data were analyzed following a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Results Two main themes emerged: (1) awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle during cancer treatment and (2) individual follow-up; it's good to have someone to talk to. Conclusions Participation in a 12-month comprehensive lifestyle intervention is both feasible and desirable in curative and palliative patients. However, although the curative participants' motivation and perceived ability to adhere to lifestyle recommendations increased during the intervention period, the palliative participants' perceived ability to adhere decreased even though they were overall highly motivated. Implications for Practice Our findings encourage the future implementation of lifestyle interventions during cancer treatment, even in cancer patients with advanced disease. However, when implementing lifestyle interventions, healthcare professionals must keep the patients' motivation, perceived ability to adhere to lifestyle recommendations, and individual needs in mind.