Perceived barriers to physical activity for colorectal cancer survivors

Abstract

Purpose Promoting physical activity among cancer survivors is a high priority. Understanding barriers to physical activity provides an evidence base to inform relevant strategies for doing so. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted with colorectal cancer survivors at 5 (n=538) and 12 months post-diagnosis (n=403). We used an ecological model of health behaviour to classify participants' perceived barriers to physical activity into four sub-categories: physical environment, social environment, personal attributes, and disease-specific barriers. Results Disease-specific barriers were perceived as the greatest challenge to colorectal cancer survivors being more physically active, closely f..