Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Cancer survivors experience long-term, treatment-related unwanted effects such as worse quality of life (QoL) and physical functioning. Reducing sedentary time (SED), waking time spent seated or lying down, can help improve their health. Using habits to reduce SED long-term is successful in people with other diseases. Habit is a brain process where a context causes one to perform a specific behaviour, learned through repetition of the behaviour every time the context is encountered. However, the effect of such program on cancer survivors is unknown. This study aims to explore the feasibility of an 8-week habit-based program to reduce SED, and determine changes in physical functioning and QoL of cancer survivors. Cancer survivors will be randomized into a SED program group (weekly checklists with habit-based tips to reduce SED) or an active control group (handouts containing movement guidelines and benefits of reducing SED). Tips will consider participants' lifestyles and functional limitations. The SED program group will also receive check-in sessions. Both groups will receive smartwatches. Feasibility will be measured by calculating the number of people who: completed the study, dropped out, experienced unexpected problems, and through participant satisfaction. Outcomes will be measured at the start and end of the program. SED will be measured using an inclinometer, which provides information on the body's position, and the AusDiab3 Sedentary Behaviour Questionnaire. Physical functioning will be measured using the 30s sit-to-stand test and 6-minute walk test. QoL will be measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General and Short Form-12 questionnaires. Habit will be measured using the Self-Report Behavioural Automaticity Index. Study findings will inform whether larger studies should be done using habits to reduce SED in cancer survivors. This program may be an affordable and accessible option for cancer survivors to improve their health.