Rationale and aims: Women living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) can benefit from physical activity. To enable effective physical activity advice and services, it is important to understand the practical factors that may facilitate or prevent engagement. We explored in women living with MBC: i) their current physical activity habits, ii) practical and behavioural factors that influenced physical activity, and iii) the role of healthcare services in influencing engagement in being physically active.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women living with MBC recruited from a metropolitan cancer centre. Interviews explored their physical activity habits, barriers, facilitators, and interests, guided by the Transtheoretical Model of behaviour change. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed.
Results: Twenty-three women participated; mean age was 61 years (range=34-84) and mean time since metastatic diagnosis was 3.5 years (range=0.4-8.5). Physical activity levels ranged from regular participation in structured exercise to simple incidental activity. Eight themes organised into three categories were identified: 1) pragmatic factors included MBC-specific and other non-MBC health-related factors, time, work, and family-related factors, physical activity history and physical activity preferences; 2) strategies for being physically active included having the capacity to overcome barriers, and the importance of routine and incidental activity, and; 3) health and physical activity services included the importance of tailoring advice or programs to each individual, and perceived gaps in MBC-specific health considerations such as pain and bone health management when prescribing exercise programs.
Conclusions: Participants expressed diverse experiences with physical activity, with common notions on how physical activity is beneficial but difficult in which to adhere. Whilst some barriers to engagement in physical activity were unique to having cancer, many were not specific to MBC. A patient-centred approach linked to their readiness to exercise may be effective for women who are currently inactive to engage in physical activity.