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Social Cognitive Constructs Did Not Mediate the BEAT Cancer Intervention Effects on Objective Physical Activity Behavior Based on Multivariable Path Analysis

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Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Most breast cancer survivors do not meet physical activity recommendations. Understanding mediators of physical activity behavior change can improve interventions designed to increase physical activity in this at-risk population.

Purpose

Study aims were to determine the 3-month Better Exercise Adherence after Treatment for Cancer (BEAT Cancer) behavior change intervention effects on social cognitive theory constructs and the mediating role of any changes on the increase in accelerometer-measured physical activity previously reported.

Methods

Post-treatment breast cancer survivors (N = 222) were randomized to BEAT Cancer or usual care. Assessments occurred at baseline, 3 months (M3), and 6 months (M6). Adjusted linear mixed model analysis of variance determined intervention effects on walking self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goal setting, and perceived barrier interference at M3. Path analysis determined mediation of intervention effects on physical activity at M6 by changes in social cognitive constructs during the intervention (i.e., baseline to M3).

Results

BEAT Cancer significantly improved self-efficacy, goals, negative outcome expectations, and barriers. Total path analysis model explained 24 % of the variance in M6 physical activity. There were significant paths from randomized intervention group to self-efficacy (β = 0.15, p < .05) and barriers (β = −0.22, p < .01). Barriers demonstrated a borderline significant association with M6 physical activity (β = −0.24, p = .05). No statistically significant indirect effects were found.

Conclusions

Although BEAT Cancer significantly improved social cognitive constructs, no significant indirect effects on physical activity improvements 3 months post-intervention were observed (NCT00929617).

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of Karen Hoelzer, MD, Sara Mansfield, MS, Amanda Fogleman, MEng, Ruth Sosnoff, PhD, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Center for Clinical Research, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign kinesiology graduate students and assistants, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Physical Activity core (P30DK056336). This project was supported by the National Cancer Institute R01CA136859. Kerry S. Courneya is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Laura Q. Rogers MD, MPH

  2. Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Kerry S. Courneya PhD

  3. Department of Kinesiology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA

    Phillip M. Anton PhD

  4. Department of Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA

    Patricia Hopkins-Price PhD

  5. Statistics and Research Informatics Core, Center for Clinical Research, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA

    Steven Verhulst PhD & Randall S. Robbs MBA

  6. Department of Psychiatry, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA

    Sandra K. Vicari PhD

  7. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA

    Edward McAuley PhD

Authors
  1. Laura Q. Rogers MD, MPH
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  2. Kerry S. Courneya PhD
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  3. Phillip M. Anton PhD
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  4. Patricia Hopkins-Price PhD
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  5. Steven Verhulst PhD
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  6. Randall S. Robbs MBA
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  7. Sandra K. Vicari PhD
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  8. Edward McAuley PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Q. Rogers MD, MPH.

Ethics declarations

Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards Authors

Laura Rogers and all contributing authors declare they have no conflict of interest. All procedures, including the informed consent process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

Additional information

This research was supported by the National Cancer Institute R01CA136859 (Dr. Rogers). Dr. Kerry S. Courneya is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program.

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Rogers, L.Q., Courneya, K.S., Anton, P.M. et al. Social Cognitive Constructs Did Not Mediate the BEAT Cancer Intervention Effects on Objective Physical Activity Behavior Based on Multivariable Path Analysis. ann. behav. med. 51, 321–326 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9840-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9840-6

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