EXPLORING INTENTION TO EXERCISE WITHIN A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR POPULATION

One modality to improve quality of life, in Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS), is physical activity (PA). Less than 30% of BCS participate in PA. The purpose of this study is to explore BCS’s intention to exercise. Seventy-five BCS patients, undergoing treatment, completed a survey. The survey assessed the following: Health care practitioner influence, Demographics, Stages of Change (SOC), anxiety and depression, perceived barriers to exercise, past and current exercise, and the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). BCS who were older, had less education, did not exercise before diagnosis, were in the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages, and/or exhibited a low Perceived Behavioral Control had a lower intention to exercise. Incorporating the findings from this research into an intervention may assist with increasing intention to exercise among BCS.