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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Aug;19(4):1385-1402.
doi: 10.1007/s11764-024-01559-6. Epub 2024 Mar 6.

Psychosocial correlates of physical activity in cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Bruno Rodrigues  1 , Jorge Encantado  2 , Sofia Franco  3 , Marlene N Silva  3 , Eliana V Carraça  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Psychosocial correlates of physical activity in cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Bruno Rodrigues et al. J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a non-pharmacological approach to optimize health benefits in cancer survivors and is recommended as part of care. However, most cancer survivors fail to meet PA recommendations. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify psychosocial correlates of free-living PA in cancer survivors.

Methods: Three electronic databases were searched (PubMed, PsycINFO, and SportDiscus). Meta-analyses were conducted for psychosocial correlates tested ≥ 3 times.

Results: Sixty-four articles were included. Eighty-eight different free-living PA correlates were identified. Meta-analyses (n = 32 studies) tested 23 PA correlates, of which 16 were significant (p < 0.05). Larger effect sizes (0.30 < ES > 0.45) were found for exercise self-efficacy, perceived behavioral control, intention, lower perceived barriers for exercise, enjoyment, perceived PA benefits, and attitudes. Small-to-moderate effects (0.18 < ES < 0.22) were found for subjective norms, physical functioning, quality of life, depression, and mental health. These findings were generally in line with narrative results.

Conclusions: This systematic review highlights important psychosocial correlates of free-living PA that can be targeted in future PA promotion interventions for cancer survivors. Constructs mainly from SCT and TPB were the most studied and appear to be associated with free-living PA in this population. However, we cannot currently assert which frameworks might be more effective. Further studies of better methodological quality, per correlate and theory, exploring longer-term associations and across different types of cancer, are needed.

Implications for cancer survivors: Having higher exercise self-efficacy, perceived behavioral control, intention, enjoyment and perceived PA benefits, more positive attitudes towards PA, and lower perceived barriers for exercise, can help increase PA in cancer survivors.

Keywords: Adherence; Cancer survivors; Physical activity; Psychosocial correlates.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: The present study does not involve human participants or animal subjects. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Registration and protocol: This review was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42021259244). The review protocol was not published. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study selection process flowchart. Abbreviations: n, number of studies; SB, sedentary behavior
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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