Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2019

Acceptability of wearable activity trackers for physical activity and sedentary behavior in daily clinical practice in men with prostate cancer (#180)

Renée Bultijnck 1 2 , Noëmi Borrey 3 , Benedicte Deforche 4 5 , Elke Rammant 1 , Sofie Everaert 1 , Valérie Fonteyne 1 , Karel Decaestecker 1 , Nicolaas Lumen 1 , Piet Ost 1 2
  1. Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
  2. Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium
  3. Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
  4. Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
  5. Department of Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Aim

To assess the acceptability of activity trackers in men with prostate cancer (PCa) in daily clinical practice.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted and PCa patients across a wide range of disease stages were included. Inclusion criteria were; absence of psychological, familial, geographical or cognitive conditions which could hamper with the protocol, willingness to wear 2 different activity trackers for 7 days and Karnofsky performance score >60. Patients were instructed to wear the trackers (Fitbit Charge HR and ActivPal) for 7 consecutive days. A feasibility and acceptability questionnaire were administered. Recruitment target was set at 70. Descriptive statistics were used. The chi-square test was used to compare results between insufficiently and sufficiently active patients according to the physical activity (PA) guidelines1. 

Results

In total, 71 patients were included. The mean age was 67 (52 – 84). Of the total, 87% participants had a computer and 53% personally owned a smartphone.  Almost half of the patients (43%) already heard of an activity tracker and a minority (16%) owned or previously used a tracker. The majority (98%) gave a high utility rate to register the tracker results in medical files and to use it as feedback monitor (96%). There were no significant differences between active and insufficiently active patients for a motivational (p=0.862) or awareness (p=0.817) role of the tracker. A small minority (all currently receiving androgen deprivation therapy) (6%) developed contact dermatitis as side effect of wearing the wristband.

Conclusion

Overall, PCa patients state a high level of acceptance towards the use of activity trackers in daily clinical practice. Though, proper instructions are indicated, as a very small minority developed contact dermatitis.

  1. Schmitz KH, Courneya KS, Matthews C, et al. American College of Sports Medicine roundtable on exercise guidelines for cancer survivors. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2010;42(7):1409-1426.