Effect of a Single-Session Therapeutic Patient Education Intervention on Physical Activity in Patients Initiating...

Physical activity (PA) is recognized as a key supportive care intervention in oncology. However, encouraging patients to increase or maintain their PA level at the onset of their treatment is challenging. Therapeutic patient education may support PA during cancer treatments, but effective strategies remain to be determined.

Adult patients were enrolled at the start of cancer therapy in a single-blind randomized controlled trial, in which patients and outcome assessors remained blinded to group allocation. The control group received a booklet with PA recommendations, resistance exercises, and a resistive elastic band. The experimental group received the same material plus a single 30-minute face-to-face educational session delivered by experienced physiotherapists. The primary outcome was variation in PA level between baseline and 6 months of follow-up, as measured with total global score of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Secondary outcomes included fatigue, health-related quality of life, and physical function.

Ninety-eight patients were included. At 6 months, the IPAQ total global scores were maintained in both groups, with no significant between-group differences. There were no significant between-group differences in secondary outcomes, except for the IPAQ Transport subscale (P = .026) favoring the control group.

The addition of a single-session educational intervention beyond the provision of educational material at the onset of cancer therapy did not significantly increase PA. However, PA levels were maintained in both groups. More iterative, tailored, or group-based interventions may be required to achieve measurable behavioral changes in PA.