Prolonged home confinement and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic have been associated with negative effects on health, including a decrease in physical activity levels and an increase in depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Cancer survivors may be disproportionately impacted by these effects. Being immunocompromised and having an increased risk of COVID-related death necessitate particularly strict social distancing measures. Cancer survivors also often have unique emotional needs and familial and financial strains. But many survivors were left without needed support during the pandemic, due to closures of in-person survivorship resources such as physical fitness and mental health programs. More research is needed to better understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer survivors and possible strategies to provide them with support.
To that end, UMass Cancer Center researcher Jamie Faro, PhD, conducted a study exploring changes in physical activity and mental health status among cancer survivors since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Faro, an assistant professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School and member of the Cancer Population Health Sciences Program at the UMass Cancer Center, collaborated on this study with UMass Chan researchers Rajani Sadasivam PhD, Kristin Mattocks PhD, Catherine Nagawa MS, Stephenie Lemon PhD, Bo Wang PhD, and Sarah Cutrona MD. They gave an online questionnaire to cancer survivors who had previously participated in a community-based physical activity andsocial support program prior to the pandemic.
Recently published in JMIR Cancer, the study found that approximately 67% of the participating survivors reported decreased physical activity and prolonged sitting times since the start of COVID-19.
These declines in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviors are concerning, as studies have shown that physical activity is critical for both thephysical and mental health of cancer survivors. In fact, about a quarter of the survivors in this study met criteria for clinical anxiety (24.6%) and depression (26.2%). "Our results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social isolation increased the need for both physical activity and mental health support among cancer survivors", says Dr. Faro.
The study also explored the use of digital technology as an alternative strategy to support survivors’ physical activity and social health during and after COVID-19, and survivors’ preferences related to technology use.
While most survivors (65.6%) reported a preference for doing indoor or outdoor activities by themselves during COVID-19, many (50.8%) expressed an interest in online physical activity programs after COVID-19.
In addition to physical activity, survivors acknowledged the importance of social support from family, friends, or peer coaches, with some survivors expressing a preference for this support to be delivered through remote, digital platforms (33.3%) and others preferring in-person support (20%). Dr. Faro notes, "We need to take survivors' personal preferences into consideration as we look to deliver and connect them to available programs moving forward".
Given the survivors’ preferences, the authors of the study highlighted the potential of digital health platforms to serve as a substitute for in-person support for cancer survivors, especially under circumstances when they are unable to access in-person support and resources. Digital physical activity programs with added social support may help address the ongoing needs of cancer survivors both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s results also set the stage for future development of other digital community-based programs that provide support to cancer survivors.
