UNDERSTANDING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION AND PROMOTION AFTER BREAST CANCER: AN EXPLORATION OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS’ PERSPECTIVES

¹Al_Quds University /AbuDis, Physiotherapy Department, Jerusalem, Palestine, ²University of East Anglia, Health Science, Norwich, United Kingdom

Background: Physical activity is recognized as an effective strategy to mitigate the side effects of cancer treatments. Despite this, a large number of women after breast cancer remain physically inactive. Cultural sensitivities may impact on and shape women's physical activity participation. There is an important role for health care professionals who face challenges in promoting physical activity to their cancer patients.

Purpose: This research was conducted to identify factors affecting physical activity participation and promotion, from both women after breast cancer and oncology health care professionals’ perspectives, in particular in Palestinian territories.

Methods: An exploratory study using mixed research methods including both using International Physical activity questionnaire followed by semi-structured interviews to explore Palestinian women’s perspectives of what affects their physical activity participation after breast cancer as well as health care professionals’ perspectives of what affects their promotion of physical activity to cancer patients in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Results: The research highlights what can be described as Palestinian women's captivity to the consequences of breast cancer. Palestinian female Identity and a culture of shame and pettiness, as well as an ongoing political situation, together impose restrictions on their PA participation. Other barriers were encountered by health care professionals regarding physical activity promotion, all of which may be related to work pressure, lack of knowledge, and health care system referral schemes to physical activity. The quality of life for the patients ranged from poor to excellent but the worst scores were seen in the emotional wellbeing and energy domains.

Conclusions: This research provides new knowledge and understanding about physical activity participation in women after breast cancer emphasizing the importance of culture in both facilitating or challenging physical activity participation and promotion. It identified themes of daily living with breast cancer, altruism, changing identities, and factors affecting oncology health care professionals in promoting physical activity to women after breast cancer.

Implications: These findings help to raise the awareness of all women’s experiences and in particular, give Palestinian women a ‘voice’. It highlights the need to develop and implement culturally tailored physical activity recommendations that may increase participation among women after breast cancer.

Funding acknowledgements: Higher Education Scholarship Palestine ( HESPAL ) British Council/ Palestinian Territories funded this Ph.D. Study .

Keywords:
Physical activity
Women after breast cancer
Oncology health care professionals

Topics:
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Oncology, HIV & palliative care
Professional issues

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: University of East Anglia / Al_Quds University

Committee: University of East Anglia / Al_Quds University

Ethics number: 2