Home-based exercise among cancer survivors: adherence and its predictors.

OBJECTIVE Evidence of the benefits of exercise for those treated for cancer has led to exercise interventions for this population. Some have questioned whether cancer patients offered a home-based intervention adhere to the exercise prescribed. METHOD We examined exercise adherence in a randomized controlled trial of a 12-week, home-based exercise trial for breast cancer patients. Three adherence outcomes were examined: minutes of exercise participation/week, number of steps taken during planned exercise/week, and whether the participant met her weekly exercise goal. Predictors of adherence (e.g. demographic and medical variables, Transtheoretical Model variables, history of exercise) were examined. RESULTS Findings indicate that participants significantly increased their minutes of exercise and steps taken during planned exercise from Week 1 to 12. The percentage of participants achieving exercise goals was highest in the first few weeks. Exercise self-efficacy significantly predicted each adherence outcome. Baseline PA predicted mean exercise session steps over the 12 weeks. CONCLUSION Adherence to a home-based exercise intervention for breast cancer patients changes over time and may be related to baseline levels of exercise self-efficacy.