The Effect of the Move More Pack on the Physical Activity of Cancer Survivors: Protocol for a Randomized Waiting List Control Trial with Process Evaluation

BACKGROUND: Physical activity can improve many common side effects of cancer treatment as well as improve physical function and quality of life (QOL). In addition, physical activity can improve survival rate and reduce cancer recurrence. Despite these benefits, only 23% of cancer survivors in England are active to recommended levels. Cancer survivors are interested in lifestyle behavior change. Home-based interventions offer a promising means for changing physical activity behavior. Prediagnosis levels of physical activity and self-efficacy have been reported to be predictors of physical activity behavior change. The Move More Pack, which has undergone revision, is a printed resource with supporting Internet-based tools that aims to increase the physical activity of cancer survivors in the United Kingdom. The revised Move More Pack is underpinned by the theory of planned behavior and the social cognitive theory. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this proposed study was to investigate the effect of the revised Move More Pack, supported by Internet-based tools, on physical activity, self-efficacy, and health-related QOL (HRQOL) of cancer survivors in the United Kingdom. METHODS: This study is a two-arm waiting list randomized control trial with embedded process evaluation. A sample of 99 participants per arm will be recruited by invitation through an email database of cancer survivors held by UK charity Macmillan Cancer Support and an advert placed on the Macmillan Cancer Support Facebook page. Each participant is randomized to receive brief physical activity information and the UK guidelines for physical activity, or brief physical activity information and the revised Move More Pack with supporting Internet-based tools. The intervention and control arm will be followed up at 12 weeks to identify changes in self-reported physical activity, self-efficacy, and HRQOL based on Web-based questionnaires. The control arm will receive the revised Move More Pack at 12 weeks with follow-up at 24 weeks. The intervention arm is followed up at 24 weeks to determine maintenance of reported changes. Subgroup analyses will be completed based on participants’ prediagnosis level of physical activity and baseline self-efficacy as possible predictors of positive changes. Use of each component of the revised Move More Pack will be assessed using a 4-point Likert scale. Semistructured phone interviews will evaluate the use and perceived usefulness of the revised Move More Pack. RESULTS: Participant recruitment started in March 2017. Projected completion of this study is October 2018. CONCLUSIONS: This study’s findings will identify if the proposed low-cost broad reach intervention improves physical activity, self-efficacy, and the HRQOL of cancer survivors. The process evaluation is designed to contextualize the use and perceived usefulness of the revised Move More Pack, help augment its efficient distribution, and identify potential improvements to its design.