How acceptable is a weight maintenance programme for healthy weight young women who are at increased risk of breast cancer?

Abstract

Objective: To determine if a weight gain prevention intervention is acceptable to young women with a normal Body Mass Index and a moderately increased or high risk of breast cancer. Design: Qualitative semi-structured interview study involving 14 women aged 26-35 years who were registered with a Family History Clinic in Manchester, UK, due to family history of breast cancer. Participants' views were analysed thematically. Results: Four themes were produced: 1) perceptions of a healthy lifestyle: women's perceptions included health-related behaviours and subjective wellbeing; 2) construing a healthy weight: women rely on appearance, feelings and others opinions to construe weight instead of quantitative indicators; 3) configuring a useful programme: the idea of a programme that is remotely accessible; provides a point of contact; and promotes general wellbeing was appealing. Women believed information explaining the link between lifestyle and breast cancer would facilitate behaviour change; 4) the importance of will(power): women recognised that commitment to a programme is affected by time, money and readiness to change. Conclusion: A weight gain prevention intervention that focuses on wellbeing and behaviour change appears acceptable to many healthy weight women. Future research should examine whether women's expressed acceptability translates into actual acceptability of such a programme.

Evaluating the Acceptance and Usability of an App Promoting Weight Gain Prevention and Healthy Behaviors Among Young Women With a Family History of Breast Cancer: Protocol for an Observational Study

“…Recruitment from within the MFT FHRPC: We have successfully recruited to health behavior research studies and PPI projects using postal invite letters to FHRPC participants with an uptake of between 9% and 23% (unpublished, in press, and [ 14 ]). Based on a 15% predicted uptake, 200 letters will be posted to recruit 30 women.…”

“…Our previous interview study reported that young women (aged 25-35 years) at increased risk of breast cancer are interested in joining a program to prevent weight gain and promote healthy behaviors which could be accessed remotely, potentially via an app [ 14 ]. This was in line with the views expressed by our public and patient involvement (PPI) group of women younger than 40 years at increased risk of breast cancer who had been a healthy weight at age 18 years but had since gained at least a stone in weight (unpublished data).…”

What do women think about having received their breast cancer risk as part of a risk-stratified NHS Breast Screening Programme? A qualitative study

“…Similarly, women who previously received 10-year breast cancer estimates were more likely to report changes to diet, alcohol consumption and physical activity if they self-reported being high risk [ 35 ]. Offering specific interventions such as programmes focused on weight loss or weight gain prevention appear to be beneficial for women at higher risk of breast cancer [ 36 – 39 ]. The findings in the present study suggest it may also be feasible to prevent weight gain in women at lower risk of breast cancer given they reported the desire to maintain this level of risk.…”

The DAMA25 Study: Feasibility of a Lifestyle Intervention Programme for Cancer Risk Reduction in Young Italian Women with Breast Cancer Family History

“…Recently, other studies have been implemented to evaluate the possibility to change lifestyle habits in high-risk young women [ 26 , 27 ]. Among them the LivingWell study demonstrated that a lifestyle program for people with a FH of BC cancer is feasible and the results suggest favorable outcomes in terms of PA increase and reduction in dietary fat [ 26 ].…”