Predictors of adherence to supervised exercise in lymphoma patients participating in a randomized controlled trial

Exercise improves health in lymphoma patients but the determinants of adherence in this population are unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine predictors of exercise adherence in lymphoma patients. In a randomized trial, 60 lymphoma patients were assigned to the exercise group and asked to attend three supervised exercise sessions per week for 12 weeks. Baseline data were collected on demographic, medical, fitness, psychosocial, and motivational variables. Adherence was assessed by objective attendance. Adherence was 77.8% and was significantly predicted by age (beta = 0.29; p = 0.016) and past exercise (beta = 0.27; p = 0.024); and borderline significantly predicted by previous treatments (beta = 0.22; p = 0.053), body mass index (beta = -0.21; p = 0.076), and smoking (beta = -0.19; p = 0.092). Poorer exercise adherence was experienced by lymphoma patients under age 40, insufficiently active at baseline, previously treated with radiation therapy, overweight or obese, and smokers. Findings may facilitate the development of targeted interventions to improve exercise adherence in this understudied patient population.