Characteristics of attitude and recommendation of oncologists toward exercise in South Korea: a cross sectional survey study

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of the present study was to examine 1) characteristics and attitudes of oncologists toward exercise and toward recommending exercise to their patients, 2) association among oncologists’ own physical activity levels, exercise recommendations, and their attitudes toward recommending exercise.MethodsA total of 167 oncologists participated in this survey study (41 surgeons, 78 medical oncologists, 25 radiation oncologists, and 21 others). Most oncologists included in the study treat more than one type of cancer, including colorectal, gastric, breast, lung, and liver cancer. To analyze the data, the one-way ANOVA, and t-test were used. All data were indicated for mean, SD, and proportions.ResultsMost oncologists agreed that exercise is beneficial (72.8%) and important (69.6%), but only 39.2% of them agreed that exercise is safe, and only 7.2% believed that cancer patients manage to exercise during cancer treatment. Forty-six percentage of the surveyed oncologists recommended exercise to their patients during the past month. The average amount of participation in physical activity by oncologists who participated in the study was 139.5 ± 120.3 min per week, and 11.4% of the study participants met the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines. Oncologists’ own physical activity levels were associated with their attitudes toward recommending exercise. Belief in the benefits of exercise in the performance of daily tasks, improvement of mental health, and the attenuation of physical decline from treatment were the three most prevalent reasons why oncologists recommend exercise to their patients. Barriers to recommending exercise to patients included lack of time, unclear exercise recommendations, and the safety of patients.ConclusionsOncologists have favorable attitudes toward exercise and toward recommending exercise to their patients during treatment. However, they also experience barriers to recommending exercise, including lack of time, unclear exercise guidelines for cancer patients, and concerns regarding the safety of exercise.

Are We on the Same Page? Patient and Provider Perceptions About Exercise in Cancer Care: A Focus Group Study

“…Multiple studies suggest that patients with cancer prefer to receive exercise recommendations from their oncologist, but data also indicate that barriers are in place that prevent routine physician-initiated discussion about exercise as part of a treatment plan. [11][12][13][14] In our study group, patients with and without metastatic disease consistently reported no recollection of physician-initiated conversations about exercise during their treatment. Jones and Courneya 15 found that most (≈82%) cancer survivors prefer that their oncologist initiate exercise discussions; still less than a third (28%) of survivors reported having had these discussions initiated by their oncologist.…”

“…These results parallel those of previous studies reporting that 73% and 62% of oncologists agree that exercise is beneficial. 13,14 Yet only 2 providers in our group documented exercise recommendation in the electronic medical record >50% of the time; for the remainder, this rate was ≤25%. Our results are consistent with those of the Canadian provider group reporting a 28% recommendation rate.…”

To rest or not to rest—Health care professionals' attitude toward recommending physical activity to their cancer patients

“…As the cross‐sectional nature of our study does not allow any causal conclusions, future studies should assess actual physical activity recommendations in a longitudinal design. Lastly, as the response rate was relatively low (though typical for surveys of this nature) and internal consistencies were in questionable range for some TPB variables, generalizability of our findings might be limited.…”

“…Most recent studies focused on the new activity-paradigm and did not include the "old" rest-paradigm. 19,35,36 However, many HCP report insecurities about what to recommend to their cancer patients and concerns about physical overload and psychological stress. 23 Our research shows that although the rest-paradigm is outdated in research, it still seems to be relevant in oncological practice.…”

What hinders healthcare professionals in promoting physical activity towards cancer patients? The influencing role of healthcare professionals’ concerns, perceived patient characteristics and perceived structural factors

“…During the treatment, patients with cancer encounter different health specialists who are potential promoters of PA, such as specialised physicians for certain cancer entities, general practitioners and oncology nurses. However, studies suggest that a considerable number of patients with cancer (30%–70%) do not receive a PA promotion by their physicians (Fisher et al., ; Karvinen, DuBose, Carney, & Allison, ; Park et al., ; Spellman, Craike, & Livingston, ; Williams, Beeken, Fisher, & Wardle, ). Few studies among oncology nurses indicate that they promote PA to patients with cancer more often than physicians (Karvinen, McGourty, Parent, & Walker, ; Kenison, Silverman, Sustin, & Thompson, ).…”