JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Sedentary behavior (SB) is prevalent after abdominal cancer surgery, and interventions targeting perioperative SB could improve postoperative recovery and outcomes. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of a real-time mobile intervention that detects and disrupts prolonged SB before and after cancer surgery, relative to a monitoring-only control condition.

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of a perioperative SB intervention on objective activity behavior, patient-reported quality of life and symptoms, and 30-day readmissions.

Methods:

Patients scheduled for surgery for metastatic gastrointestinal cancer (n = 26) were enrolled and randomized to receive either the SB intervention or activity-monitoring only. Both groups used a Fitbit smartwatch and companion smartphone app to rate daily symptoms and to collect continuous objective activity behavior data starting from at least 10 days before surgery through 30 days post-discharge. Participants in the Intervention group also received prompts to walk after any SB bout that exceeded a prespecified threshold, with less frequent prompts on days that patients reported more severe symptoms. Participants completed end-of-study ratings of acceptability, and we also examined adherence to assessments and to walking prompts. In addition, we examined effects of the intervention on objective SB and step counts, patient-reported quality of life and depressive and physical symptoms and readmissions.

Results:

Accrual (74%), retention (88%), and acceptability ratings were relatively high. However, adherence to assessments and engagement with the SB intervention decreased significantly after surgery and did not recover to preoperative levels after postoperative discharge. All participants exhibited significant increases in SB and symptoms and decreases in steps and quality of life after surgery, and participants randomized to the SB intervention unexpectedly had longer maximum SB bouts relative to the control group. No significant benefits of the intervention with regard to activity, quality of life, symptoms, or readmission were observed.

Conclusions:

Perioperative patients with metastatic gastrointestinal were interested in a real-time SB intervention and rated the intervention as highly acceptable, but engagement with the intervention and with daily symptom and activity monitoring decreased significantly after surgery. There were no significant effects of the intervention on step counts, patient-reported quality of life or symptoms, or postoperative readmissions and there was an apparent adverse effect on maximum SB. Results highlight the need for additional work to modify the intervention to make reducing SB and engaging with mobile health technology after abdominal cancer surgery more feasible and beneficial. Clinical Trial: NCT03211806