Physical therapists’ knowledge and promotion of physical activity in patients with lung cancer
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Scot Merrill Sawyer (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Erin Reifsteck
Abstract: Despite evidence that performing physical activity (PA) is beneficial to people who have lung cancer, fear of PA is a barrier that can cause sedentary behavior. Rehabilitation strategies to overcome fear and promote regular PA are needed, and physical therapists are ideal providers due to their close-knit working relationship with patients. However, it is not known if physical therapists have knowledge of exercise guidelines for people with lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine physical therapists’ knowledge and application of the PA guidelines for patients with lung cancer. We collected survey data from licensed physical therapists in North Carolina examining their knowledge of exercise guidelines and how they promote PA for their patients with lung cancer. Only 18.9% of therapists identified the duration of moderate intensity exercise needed to reduce cancer related fatigue which is a major side effect of lung cancer. Hypertension is a comorbidity affecting many people with lung cancer and less than a third of therapists (29.4%) correctly answered a question on how much moderate intensity exercise is needed to help control it. Less than half of participants (39%), recognized the correct frequency of muscle strengthening exercises which are an integral component of the exercise guidelines for lung cancer. Many therapists (38.2%) reported they do not work with people who have lung cancer when asked how often they promote PA for this population and 50% of therapists stated they wanted more education to work with people who have lung cancer. Encouragingly, these findings highlight that therapists have gaps in their knowledge, and that they are willing to receive more education in working with people who have lung cancer. Since lung cancer is the number one cause of mortality among all cancers, such efforts could make a large impact in the field of cancer rehabilitation.
Physical therapists’ knowledge and promotion of physical activity in patients with lung cancer
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Created on 8/1/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Keywords
- Physical activity, Lung cancer, Physical therapist
- Subjects
- Physical therapists $z North Carolina
- Lungs $x Cancer $x Physical therapy
- Lungs $x Cancer $x Exercise therapy