Patterns and determinants of adherence to resistance and endurance training during cancer treatment in the Phys-Can RCT

Hannah L Brooke; Anne-Sophie Mazzoni; Laurien M Buffart; Sveinung Berntsen; Karin Nordin; Ingrid Demmelmaier

doi:10.1186/s13102-022-00548-5

Patterns and determinants of adherence to resistance and endurance training during cancer treatment in the Phys-Can RCT

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2022 Aug 13;14(1):155. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00548-5.

Authors

Hannah L Brooke^{1

2}, Anne-Sophie Mazzoni², Laurien M Buffart³, Sveinung Berntsen⁴, Karin Nordin², Ingrid Demmelmaier⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
² Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
³ Department of Physiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.
⁵ Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Ingrid.demmelmaier@pubcare.uu.se.

Abstract

Background: Knowledge regarding adherence is necessary to improve the specificity of exercise interventions during cancer treatment. We aimed to determine adherence to resistance and endurance training interventions in parallel; identify subgroups with similar adherence characteristics; and examine determinants of these subgroups.

Methods: In the Phys-Can randomised controlled trial, participants (n = 577, 81% women, mean(SD) age 59(12) years, and 50% with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) starting (neo-) adjuvant treatment for breast, colorectal or prostate cancer were randomized to 6-month of high (HI) or low-to-moderate intensity (LMI) supervised, group-based resistance training and individual home-based endurance training, with or without behavior change support. Adherence was calculated as performed exercise volume as a proportion of prescribed exercise volume (0-100%), overall (HI and LMI groups) and for frequency, intensity, type and time (FITT principles) (HI group). Adherence to resistance training was plotted against adherence to endurance training overall and for each FITT principle. K-means cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups with similar adherence characteristics. Potential determinants of subgroup membership were examined using multinomial logistic regression.

Results: We found a positive curvilinear correlation between adherence to resistance and endurance training overall. A similar correlation was seen for adherence to frequency of resistance vs. endurance training in the HI group. In the HI group, adherence to resistance training intensity and time was > 80% for almost all participants. For endurance training adherence ranged from 0 to 100% for each of the FITT principles. Three clusters were identified, representing low, mixed, and high adherence to resistance and endurance training overall. Participants with higher age (Relative risk ratio [95% CI]; LMI: 0.86[0.77-0.96], HI: 0.83[0.74-0.93]), no behaviour change support (LMI: 0.11[0.02-0.56], HI: 0.20[0.05-0.85]), higher cardiorespiratory fitness (LMI: 0.81[0.69-0.94], HI: 0.80[0.69-0.92]), more fatigue (according to the reduced activity subscale of the MFI questionnaire) (LMI: 0.48[0.31-0.73], HI: 0.69[0.52-0.93]) or higher quality of life (LMI: 0.95[0.90-1.00], HI: 0.93[0.88-0.98]) were less likely to be in the low than the high adherence cluster whether randomised to LMI or HI training. Other determinants were specific to those randomised to LMI or HI training.

Conclusions: In an exercise intervention during cancer treatment, adherence to resistance and endurance training were positively correlated. Personalisation of interventions and additional support for some subgroups of participants may improve adherence. Trial registration NCT02473003 (clinicaltrials.gov, Registered 16/06/2015).

Keywords: Adherence; Cancer; Determinants; Endurance training; Exercise; FITT principles; Patterns; Resistance training.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02473003