Thesis
Barriers correlate to whether cancer care providers consult about exercise, sleep, and nutrition
University of Iowa
Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
Spring 2021
DOI: 10.17077/etd.005779
Abstract
Cancer care providers previously reported a lack of knowledge, comfort counseling, time, and compensation to be barriers to consulting patients about exercise and nutrition. There have not been any studies assessing providers’ barriers to consulting about sleep and exercise has not been reevaluated since the release of physical activity guidelines for cancer. In this comprehensive study of cancer care providers’ barriers to counseling patients about exercise, sleep, and nutrition, we hypothesized that providers would self-report a lack of 1) knowledge about the guidelines 2) comfort in counseling patients and 3) insufficient time to counsel patients about exercise, sleep, and nutrition. We hypothesized that providers’ beliefs about benefits, personal lifestyle, barriers, and patient inquiry would be correlated with whether they counsel patients about exercise, sleep, and nutrition. We created and nationally distributed a survey to assess providers’ beliefs about the benefits, current practice, personal lifestyle, and potential barriers to consulting about exercise, sleep, and nutrition. Cancer care providers (n=239) did not agree that they had enough knowledge or time to consult patients about exercise and nutrition. Providers also did not agree that they had enough knowledge, comfort, and time to consult about sleep. Knowledge, comfort, and time were all linearly correlated to whether providers currently consult patients about exercise, sleep, and nutrition. These provide evidence for areas of intervention. Wearable activity monitors could provide providers with information to aid in their ability to consult patients about exercise, sleep, and nutrition at all stages of cancer care.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Barriers correlate to whether cancer care providers consult about exercise, sleep, and nutrition
- Creators
- Ethan Pottebaum
- Contributors
- Melissa L Bates (Advisor)Lucas J Carr (Committee Member)Michael H Tomasson (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Health and Human Physiology
- Date degree season
- Spring 2021
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.005779
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- vii, 58 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2021 Ethan Pottebaum
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- illustrations (some color), forms
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 40-46)
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Exercise, sleep, and nutrition are important for cancer patients’ recovery and survivorship. Despite believing exercise and nutrition to be beneficial, cancer care providers report lack of knowledge, comfort, time, and compensation as barriers to currently discussing exercise and nutrition with cancer patients. There have not been any studies asking providers’ barriers to discussing sleep with patients. This is the first study to simultaneously ask cancer care providers about 1) their beliefs about the benefits of exercise, sleep, and nutrition 2) their current practice discussing exercise, sleep, and nutrition 3) providers’ personal exercise, sleep, and nutrition lifestyle 4) barriers to discussing exercise, sleep, and nutrition with patients. We found that lack of knowledge and time were significant barriers to discussing exercise and nutrition with patients. Lack of knowledge, comfort, and time were all significant barriers to discussing sleep. These barriers were correlated with whether cancer care providers currently discuss exercise, sleep, and nutrition with their patients. Wearable activity monitors that track patients’ activity, sleep, and energy expenditure could be a useful tool in helping cancer care providers counsel their patients on appropriate exercise, sleep, and nutrition during all stages of cancer treatment.
- Academic Unit
- Health, Sport, and Human Physiology
- Record Identifier
- 9984096976002771
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