Physical activity during breast cancer treatment in South Asian women
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative investigation of the cancer-related and sociocultural factors for increasing physical activity and limiting sedentary behaviour in South Asian women receiving breast cancer treatment
IRAS ID
339708
Contact name
Daniel Bailey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Brunel University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 13 days
Research summary
The prevalence of breast cancer in South Asian women living in the UK increased significantly from 64.4 to 110.6 per 100,000 between 1998-2000 to 2007-2009 (5.6% per annum) compared to 117.1 to 128.2 (1.7% per annum) in white women. The increased rate in South Asian women may be due to lower engagement in cancer screening, increasing use of hormone replacement therapy and sedentary lifestyles.
Physical activity is a recommended low-cost intervention to help manage the side effects of cancer treatment (e.g., fatigue, depression and reduced quality of life) and improve treatment outcomes, yet physical activity significantly declines and sedentary behaviour is high after breast cancer diagnosis, particularly in patients treated with chemotherapy. South Asian women have unique needs in breast cancer treatment based around spirituality, cultural norms and language (e.g. believing their diagnosis to be the will of God; requiring language-specific resources). There is little evidence for successful physical activity interventions for South Asian women with (i.e. diagnosed and waiting for or receiving treatment) and beyond (i.e. after curative treatment) breast cancer and few studies consider the experiences of breast cancer patients in the design of such interventions.
This research will seek to explore experiences of physical activity and sedentary behaviour, identify and understand the impact of different types of public health messaging about cancer and PA, and develop ideas for culturally appropriate physical activity. This will be achieved twofold. First is through focus groups with South Asian women living with breast cancer to explore experiences of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. This will include trying out some low-intensity physical activities and providing feedback on them. Second is through interviews with friends, family, community members, and healthcare professionals to understand their knowledge, expertise, and messages about physical activity and sedentary behaviour in the context of breast cancer for this population group.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
24/NI/0082
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion