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. 2020;5(4):555670.
doi: 10.19080/arr.2020.05.555670. Epub 2020 Mar 10.

Narrative Review of Web-based Healthy Lifestyle Interventions for Cancer Survivors

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Narrative Review of Web-based Healthy Lifestyle Interventions for Cancer Survivors

Victoria Williams et al. Ann Rev Res. 2020.

Abstract

This narrative review of web-delivered weight management, diet quality, and physical activity interventions for cancer survivors relies on a systematic search of PubMed, Psych Info, and EBSCOhost which identified 19 unique web-delivered lifestyle interventions for cancer survivors. The sample sizes for these studies ranged from 11-492. Intervention duration ranged from 1-12 months; however, most interventions were 6-12 weeks in length. Ten studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two were two-arm quasi RCTs, and seven employed a single-arm pre/post-test design. Many (N= 15) of the interventions were well-grounded in behavioral theory, which may have led to favorable behavior change. Most studies (15-of-19) targeted and reported increases in physical activity, while only a few targeted and reported improvements in diet quality (36.9% and 15.8%, respectively) and weight management (26.3% and 10.5%, respectively). A notable limitation was that most studies were conducted among populations that were primarily White and female. Future directions for Internet-based lifestyle interventions for cancer survivors include increasing: (a) focus on multiple behavior change, (b) representation of male and minority populations to improve generalizability of findings, (c) extended intervention duration and follow-up to evaluate long-term efficacy of web-based lifestyle interventions, and (d) sample size to allow for adequate statistical power.

Keywords: Cancer survivors; Lifestyle intervention; Nutrition; Physical activity; Web-based.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA flow diagram illustrating article selection strategy

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