Skip to main content

Table 4 Barriers to PA participation among cancer patients (% patients reporting the barrier)

From: Factors influencing physical activity participation among people living with or beyond cancer: a systematic scoping review

Cancer type

Country, no. of participants, treatment stage

Study design

Physiological

Psychosocial &

cultural

Economic & environmental

Reference

(A) Treatment side effects, & (B) Co-morbidities

(A) Low self-efficacy & motivation, (B) Low exercise discipline, (C) Kinesiophobia & (D) Not sporty, (E) Lack of social support, (F) Family responsibility, (G) Preference for other activities, & (H) Time pressures

(A) Financial issues, (B) Poor weather, & (C)Unavailable/ inaccessible facilities

(A)

(B)

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

(F)

(G)

(H)

(A)

(B)

(C)

 

Breast

Canada, 9, post-ttt

QI

+

+

+

  

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

[40]

Canada,160, during ttt

CS

+ (41)

 

+ (4)

      

+ (11)

 

+ (6)

 

[97]

Canada, 8, during ttt

QI

+

+

+

    

+

 

+

 

+

+

[49]

Canada, 12, mixed

QI

+

 

+

   

+

+

+

+

  

+

[77]

Canada, 12, mixed

FG

+

+

  

+

 

+

+

 

+

+

+

+

[50]

NZ, 20 women

FG

  

+

  

+

+

    

+

+

[51]

Norway, 10, during ttt

QI

+

 

+

          

[98]

Norway, 27, during ttt

FG

+

     

+

+

 

+

   

[52]

Spain, 14, post-ttt

QI

+

 

+

   

+

+

 

+

 

+

 

[99]

Sweden, 16, during ttt

QI

+

 

+

    

+

 

+

  

+

[53]

UK, 83, during ttt

QI

+

+

+

 

+

+

 

+ (20)

+

+

+

+ (48)

+

[100]

US, 23, during ttt

CS

+ (39)

 

+ (39)

+(52)

+

+

+ (26)

+ (22)

+ (26)

+ (39)

+ (22)

+

+ (22)

[55]

US, 30 women, on ttt

QI

+

     

+

 

+

    

[101]

US, 60 elderly, post-ttt

QI

+ (43)

    

+ (22)

    

+ (40)

 

[54]

Colo-rectal

Canada, 600, post-ttt

CS

+ (14)

+ (9)

     

+ (15)

+ (16)

+ (15)

 

+ (25)

 

[57]

Canada, 69 survivors

RCT

+ (25)

+ (1)

     

+ (3)

 

+ (32)

 

+ (1)

 

[102]

Netherland, 15, mixed

QI

+

+

+

   

+

  

+

   

[92]

Spain, 30, during ttt

QI

+

 

+

   

+

+

 

+

  

+

[103]

Sweden, 17 elderly

QI

+

+

+

+

  

+

+

+

+

  

+

[59]

US, 30, mixed stages

QI

+

+

+

         

+

[104]

Endometrial

UK, 16, post-ttt

QI

+

 

+

   

+

  

+

 

+

+

[60]

Gynecologic

Canada, 239 patients

MM

      

+

  

+

+

 

+

[44]

Head/neck

England, 430, post-ttt

CS

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

[23]

Kidney

Canada, 482, post-ttt

CS

+ (20)

+ (24)

+ (14)

    

+ (19)

 

+ (22)

 

+ (15)

+ (8)

[61]

Lung

Australia, 7, post-ttt

FG

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

  

+

+

+

+

[63]

Denmark, 19, post-ttt

QI

+

+

           

[64]

France, 5, during ttt

QI

+

+

+

 

+

 

+

    

+

 

[105]

UK, 28 patients

MM

      

+

      

[106]

US, 43, pre-ttt

CS

+ (34)

           

+(16)

[65]

Lung & GI

US, 34 patients

QI

+

+

+

 

+

+

 

+

+

+

 

+

+

[107]

Lymphoma

US, post-ttt survivors

FG

+

 

+

          

[108]

Multiple myeloma

Australia, 24, post-ttt

QI

+

 

+

 

+

        

[66]

Ovarian

Australia, 95, mixed

CS

+ (38)

 

+ (26)

+ (36)

+ (12)

+(35)

+ (11)

+ (13)

+ (21)

+ (14)

+ (7)

+ (12)

+ (6)

[109]

Australia, 95, mixed

CS

+ (38)

+

+

+ (33)

 

+(35)

 

+

     

[110]

US, 10 women, post-ttt

QI

+

+

     

+

 

+

 

+

+

[111]

Prostate

Australia, 18, post-ttt

QI

+

+

  

+

 

+

  

+

   

[68]

Australia, 14 men

QI

+

+

+

+

  

+

+

 

+

+

  

[112]

England, 16 men, post-ttt

QI

+

+

+

   

+

  

+

 

+

 

[113]

Ireland, 20 men

QI

+

 

+

   

+

  

+

 

+

+

[31]

Sarcoma

UK, 6, during ttt

QI

+

 

+

   

+

      

[114, 115]

Variousa

Australia, 101, mixed

CS

+

 

+

  

+

       

[116]

Australia, 20, on ttt

QI

+

 

+

   

+

     

+

[117]

Australia, 10, post-ttt

CS

+ (52)

 

+ (14)

 

+ (9)

 

+ (5)

 

+ (39)

+ (34)

 

+ (15)

+ (13)

[71]

Australia, 92, during ttt

CS

+ (51)

 

+

          

[94]

Australia, 15, mixed

QI

+

 

+

 

+

+

   

+

  

+

[70]

Australia, 9, during ttt

QI/FG

+

 

+

   

+

     

+

[69]

Canada,66, mixed stages

CS

+

   

+

   

+

+

  

+

[72]

Canada, 788 patients

CS

+ (41)

+ (4)

+ (30)

 

+ (13)

 

+ (14)

+ (25)

+ (19)

+ (30)

 

+ (26)

+ (10)

[22]

Canada, 30, during ttt

CS

+ (74)

 

+ (82)

 

+ (26)

 

+ (60)

      

[20]

Denmark, 33, during ttt

QI

+

 

+

+

 

+

 

+

 

+

   

[118]

Denmark, 451, during ttt

CS

+ (74)

     

+ (14)

  

+ (14)

+ (13)

 

+ (15)

[48]

England, 41, post-ttt

CS

+ (32)

 

+ (12)

 

+ (12)

   

+ (18)

+ (27)

  

+ (15)

[119]

England, 59, mixed

CS

+ (48)

+ (22)

+ (18)

+ (18)

+ (18)

+(10)

+ (45)

   

+ (20)

  

[74, 75]

Germany, 141 patients

CS

+ (77)

+ (85)

+ (50)

 

+ (27)

+(40)

+

+ (5)

 

+ (5)

 

+ (4)

+ (7)

[18]

Ireland, 41, mixed

FG

+

+

+

   

+

+

+

 

+

 

+

[77]

Italy, 12 females, post-ttt

FG

+

   

+

 

+

  

+

 

+

+

[78]

NZ, 25, mixed stages

QI

+

 

+

 

+

 

+

   

+

 

+

[81]

Norway, 7, during ttt

QI

+

            

[80]

Sweden, 18, during ttt

FG

+

+

+

   

+

  

+

  

+

[24]

UK, 19, post-ttt

QI

+

+

    

+

  

+

 

+

 

[37]

UK, 456, post-ttt

CS

+ (36)

+ (37)

+ (27)

 

+ (20)

      

+ (26)

+ (26)

[43]

UK, 6, post-ttt

QI

+

 

+

 

+

  

+

+

+

 

+

 

[82]

UK, 12, mixed stages

QI

+

+

    

+

      

[36]

UK, 1, mixed stages

QI

+

   

+

+

      

+

[83]

UK, 26, mixed stages

FG

+

 

+

 

+

 

+

  

+

+

 

+

[84]

US, 25, post-ttt

FG

+

 

+

   

+

+

  

+

 

+

[86]

US, 162, mixed stages

CS

+ (34)

 

+ (36)

+ (24)

  

+ (35)

  

+ (24)

   

[96]

US, 662, mixed stages

CS

+ (78)

 

+ (67)

+ (24)

  

+ (6)

  

+ (29)

+ (20)

 

+ (11)

[25]

US, 20, post-ttt

QI

+

+

+

   

+

  

+

+

 

+

[39]

US, 20, during ttt

QI

+

 

+

          

[85]

US, 452 patients

CS

+

 

+

 

+

 

+

+

+

+

 

+

+

[120]

US, 622 patients

CS

+ (78)

 

+ (68)

+ (65)

         

[21]

US, 590 patients

CS

+

+

      

+ (8)

+ (21)

   

[42]

US, 566 older adults

CS

 

+

           

[121]

US, 640 patients

CS

+ (27)

   

+ (3)

   

+ (11)

+ (27)

+ (3)

  

[47]

US, 13, mixed stages

QI

+

 

+

 

+

 

+

     

+

[122]

  1. Abbreviations: CS cross-sectional, FG focus groups, MM mixed-method, NZ New Zealand, PA physical activity, QI qualitative interview, ttt treatment, RCT randomized controlled trial. a The study included various mixed cancer types