JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Despite the benefits of physical activity for improving cancer-related outcomes, majority of patients with cancer failed to meet physical activity guidelines. Mobile phone messaging is a scalable approach for promoting physical activity, but its effect on improving physical activity among cancer patients has not been reviewed.

Objective:

To summarize and examine the effect of mobile phone messaging on improving PA among cancer patients.

Methods:

A systematic search in eight English and Chinese databases was performed. Randomised controlled trials that examined the effect of mobile phone messaging on improving physical activity among cancer patients were included. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on participants’ characteristics, mobile phone messaging regimens and physical activity estimates.

Results:

Fourteen studies involving 826 individuals were included in this review. At post-intervention, mobile phone messaging statistically significantly improved objective PA (SMD=0.491, 95% CI: 0.005 to 0.978, P = 0.048), whereas there was no statistically significant effect on self-reported PA (SMD=0.239, 95% CI: -0.055 to 0.533, P = 0.111) and step count (SMD=0.269, 95% CI: -0.193 to 0.730, P = 0.254). Interventions which were designed based on theories, adopted more behaviour change techniques, and targeted patients who have completed active cancer treatment significantly improved objective and step count. At follow-up, the effect of mobile phone messaging on self-reported physical activity, objective physical activity or step count was found to be insignificant

Conclusions:

Our findings indicate that mobile phone messaging has the potential to improve physical activity among patients with cancer. More methodologically rigorous trials are needed to test the long-term effect of mobile phone messaging on physical activity and to explore the effects of different intervention regimens. Clinical Trial: The review has been registered at PROSPERO (CRD42024557519).