Acceptability of a structured diet and exercise weight loss intervention in breast cancer survivors living with an overweight condition or obesity: A qualitative analysis

Abstract

Background: Weight loss increases survivorship following breast cancer diagnosis. However, most breast cancer survivors (BCS) do not meet diet and exercise recommendations. Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators of BCS who had lymphedema and who participated in a 22-week weight loss lifestyle intervention. Methods and results: Participants completed semi-structured interviews about barriers and facilitators to intervention adherence. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and a thematic analysis was conducted. Participants (n = 17) were 62 ± 8.0 years of age with a mean body mass index of 34.0 ± 7.1 kg/m2. Four themes emerged: (1) facilitators of intervention adherence, (2) barriers of intervention adherence, (3) continuation of healthy habits post intervention, and (4) recommendations for intervention improvements. Facilitators of intervention adherence were education, social support, routine, motivation, goal-setting, meal-provisioning, self-awareness, and supervised exercise. Barriers to intervention adherence were personal life, health, meal dissatisfaction, seasonality, unchallenging exercises, and exercising alone. All women planned to continue the acquired healthy habits post intervention. Recommendations to improve the study included addressing the exercise regime, meal-provisioning, and dietary intake monitoring methods. Conclusion: Future strategies to engage BCS in weight loss interventions should promote group exercise, offer individualized meal-provisioning and exercise regimes, provide transition tools, and allow participants to choose their self-monitoring method.