Leisure physical activity in people with advanced cancer: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Background: With the increasing survival rates associated with advanced cancer, more people are living with the substantial effects of this health condition and its treatments. Despite reported difficulties in daily activities and potential benefits with leisure physical activity (PA), there is limited knowledge on participation in leisure PA in people with advanced cancer.

Objective: The objective of our scoping review is to examine and map the literature on leisure PA in people with advanced cancer. Specifically, we wish to: (a) examine the extent, range and nature of literature on leisure PA in people with advanced cancer; (b) report on how leisure PA has been explored in the identified body of literature and (c) report on the use and definitions of terms to describe the advanced cancer population in the identified body of literature.

Methods: The following steps will be taken to perform a scoping review on leisure PA in people with advanced cancer. A peer-reviewed literature search of 11 electronic databases and supplementary material will be conducted. Two reviewers will independently scan titles and abstracts and subsequently review full texts to determine eligibility according to the article selection criteria. Relevant data will be extracted from the included studies by two reviewers. A narrative summary of the findings will be presented with a descriptive analysis of the evidence base and a thematic analysis of content-specific information.

Conclusion: This scoping review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current literature on leisure PA in people with advanced cancer and will identify gaps in knowledge on this topic to guide future research inquiries.

Keywords:

• Neoplasms
• palliative care
• leisure activities
• exercise
• rehabilitation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.