Process Evaluation of a Sport-Based Supportive Care Intervention for Testicular Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in adolescent and young adult men. The disease, fortunately, has a high survival rate, meaning that many survivors need long-term, follow-up care. A lack of engagement in such care, however, continues to be a problem for this population. One promising model of supportive care that appears acceptable and appealing to young men is the community-based model. Yet much of the community support research is observational and descriptive. In this study, a five-week community-based sports health promotion intervention named, The Ball’s in Your Court was developed and piloted. Findings suggest that it can be used to engage young men in supportive care and may be effective at improving health and wellness throughout survivorship in this population. ABSTRACT: Testicular cancer survivors report unmet supportive care needs that are associated with poorer physical and mental health, yet engagement in traditional supportive care is low. The Ball’s in Your Court intervention was designed to engage testicular cancer survivors in supportive care by leveraging a community-based sport and exercise model. Age-appropriate, gender-sensitized, and disease specific elements were reflected in the intervention design, setting, content, and delivery. The intervention included five weekly health promotion sessions among a group of testicular cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to explore the intervention’s (i) feasibility and acceptability, (ii) effects on testicular cancer survivors’ perceived health, and (iii) gain feedback for intervention refinement. A total of 10 testicular cancer survivors participated in the pilot and completed questionnaires on demographics, cancer history, perceived health, and physical activity behavior at baseline (pre-intervention) and perceived health and satisfaction with intervention components (post-intervention). Open-ended feedback surveys were collected after each weekly session and researcher field notes were recorded by three members of the study team. One month following the intervention, a focus group was conducted with intervention participants. All participants were satisfied with the intervention. Content analysis of the qualitative data supported intervention acceptability. Visual analysis conducted at the individual level indicated that perceived health either remained stable or improved from pre- to post-intervention. The Ball’s in Your Court intervention provides a feasible and acceptable approach for the delivery of supportive care aimed at improving testicular cancer survivors’ health and wellness. Recommendations for intervention refinement were provided and require future examination.