Current Evidence and Directions for Future Research in eHealth Physical Activity Interventions for Adults Affected by Cancer: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) interventions can increase PA and improve well-being among adults affected by cancer; however, most adults do not meet cancer-specific PA recommendations. Lack of time, facility access, and travel distances are barriers to participation in PA interventions. eHealth technologies may address some of these barriers, serving as a viable way to promote PA behavior change in this population. However, no review from July 2018 has synthesized available evidence across eHealth and cancer types or examined the use of behavioral theory and behavior change techniques (BCTs), leaving important gaps in knowledge.

Objective: This review aims to provide a comprehensive, updated overview of evidence on eHealth PA interventions for adults with cancer by describing the current state of the literature, exploring associations between intervention characteristics and effectiveness, and identifying future research needs.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SportDiscus, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched for eHealth PA interventions for adults affected by cancer. Study selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate, with consultation from the senior author (NCR). BCT coding, risk of bias, and completeness of reporting were performed using standardized tools. Results were summarized via narrative synthesis and harvest plots. Weight analyses were conducted to explore the associations between intervention characteristics and effectiveness.

Results: A total of 71 articles (67 studies) involving 6655 participants (mean age 56.7 years, SD 8.2) were included. Nearly 50% (32/67) of the articles were published after July 2018. Significant postintervention PA increases were noted in 52% (35/67) of the studies, and PA maintenance was noted in 41% (5/12) of the studies that included a follow-up. Study duration, primary objectives, and eHealth modality (eg, websites, activity trackers, and SMS text messaging) varied widely. Social cognitive theory (23/67, 34%) was the most used theory. The mean number of BCTs used across the studies was 13.5 (SD 5.5), with self-monitoring, credible sources, and goal setting being used in >90% of studies. Weight analyses showed the greatest associations between increased PA levels and PA as a primary outcome (0.621), interventions using websites (0.656) or mobile apps (0.563), interventions integrating multiple behavioral theories (0.750), and interventions using BCTs of problem solving (0.657) and action planning (0.645). All studies had concerns with high risk of bias, mostly because of the risk of confounding, measurement bias, and incomplete reporting.

Conclusions: A range of eHealth PA interventions may increase PA levels among adults affected by cancer, and specific components (eg, websites, use of theory, and action planning) may be linked to greater effectiveness. However, more work is needed to ascertain and optimize effectiveness, measure long-term effects, and address concerns with bias and incomplete reporting. This evidence is required to support arguments for integrating eHealth within PA promotion in oncology.

Keywords: cancer; eHealth; electronic health; exercise; mHealth; mobile phone; oncology; physical activity; systematic review.

Figure 1

PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram of article selection. PA: physical activity.

Figure 2

Harvest plots for physical activity outcomes. Studies were grouped according to the statistical significance of their physical activity outcomes (physical activity increase, physical activity decrease, or no change). Bar height distinguishes between randomized controlled trials (high) and other study designs (low). Shading specifies how physical activity was measured (subjective, objective, or both). PA: physical activity; RCT: randomized controlled trial.

Figure 3

Weight analyses grouped by intervention characteristics. The orange dotted line represents the weight of significant changes in physical activity levels across all 67 studies (0.522). BCT: behavior change technique; PA: physical activity; SCT: social cognitive theory; TPB: theory of planned behavior; TTM: transtheoretical model.