Physical Activity Intervention for Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients and Caregivers

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Dyad-based Physical Activity Intervention for Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients and Caregivers

Levels of physical activity (PA) among cancer survivors are low, yet PA may ameliorate effects of treatment (Phillips et al., 2014). We focus here on PA following the most intensive form of cancer treatment, hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), with multiple sequelae including graft-versus-host disease and cardiovascular and pulmonary complications. PA is diminished post-transplant (Hacker & Mjukian, 2014; Morishita et al., 2017). This decrease is associated with poorer physical functioning (Bennett et al., 2016), in turn associated with greater mortality (Wood et al., 2016). Moderate exercise has been deemed safe for HCT patients (Wiskemann et al., 2014), and PA interventions feasible (Hacker & Mjukian, 2014). Findings regarding efficacy are mixed, largely due to heterogeneity of intervention components and outcomes (Liu et al., 2009; Persoon et al., 2013). All PA interventions in the HCT setting have focused entirely on patients, ignoring an opportunity to synergistically engage and benefit the caregiver, a 24/7 role requiring provision of medical, logistical, and emotional support. Distress is common among HCT caregivers and their own health promotion is neglected (Applebaum et al., 2016). In addition, the patient-caregiver relationship can be compromised, and communication patterns disrupted (Langer et al., 2009). Guided by interdependence (Kelley et al., 1983) and communal coping (Lyons et al., 1998) perspectives, our 8-session PA intervention provides training in communication skills and behavior change techniques to help patient-caregiver dyads support one another in PA. Previous testing with a sample of breast cancer and prostate cancer survivors and caregivers demonstrated feasibility, but relied solely on self-reported PA and self-determined PA goals (Porter et al., 2018). We have adapted this protocol for HCT and will use a wearable device, a Fitbit tracker, to objectively monitor PA and to provide participants with weekly individualized step goals.

Specific aims are to: (1) determine feasibility of adherence to a dyad-based PA intervention (# of sessions attended and Fitbit wear adherence) for HCT recipients and caregivers (15 dyads) using a single-group pre-post design; (2) determine acceptability of the intervention (dimensions of treatment satisfaction); and (3) describe patterns of change in PA and communal coping from baseline to follow-up. Findings will inform the design of a randomized controlled trial to test efficacy of the intervention to improve physical endurance and relational well-being.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hematopoietic Cell Transplant
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Integrated health counseling and step prescription

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 34
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arizona
    • Pheonix, Arizona, United States, 85054
      • Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria - Patients:

• Scheduled to receive an autologous or allogeneic HCT.
• Being married or in a committed cohabiting relationship.
• English speaking and comprehending.
• Physician approval to participate in a walking program.

Inclusion Criteria - Caregivers:

• Married to or in a cohabiting relationship with the patient.
• Able to participate in a walking program.

Exclusion Criteria - Patients:

• Not scheduled to receive an HCT or already post-HCT.
• Unmarried or not in a committed cohabiting relationship.
• Non-English speaking and comprehending.
• Not medically approved to participate in walking program.
• Enrolled in competing behavioral intervention.

Exclusion Criteria - Caregivers:

• Not married to or partnered/ cohabiting with the patient.
• Unable to participate in a walking program.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Family-Focused Facilitated Fitness program; Couple-based physical activity intervention commencing 14 (+/-7) days post-transplant (8 sessions with a health counselor). Sessions 1-4 will train couples in the use of communal coping strategies to support one another in achieving PA goals. Skill building will focus on instruction and practice in adaptive communication, with emphases on adaptive speaking, responsive listening, and joint decision-making and problem-solving around PA. Instruction and practice will focus specifically on communication about PA and working together (we versus me) to increase PA. Sessions 5-8 will afford check-in, review of PA progress, and troubleshooting any barriers to PA. All sessions will be dyad-based but will include delivery of individualized step goals for the next week using an adaptive approach and based on remotely-monitored Fitbit step data. Specifically, the 75th percentile rank of each participant's last 7 days of recorded days will serve as the step goal prescription for the next week.

Behavioral: Integrated health counseling and step prescription; 8 weekly dyad-based sessions with a health counselor to train couples in the use of communal coping strategies to support one another in achieving physical activity goals plus individualized step prescription based on remotely-monitored Fitbit-derived step counts the week prior

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Treatment adherence	Percentage of couples attending all 8 intervention sessions	8 weeks
Fitbit adherence	Percentage of participants providing valid wear data 4 of 7 days/ week during assessment periods (device worn >=10 hours/ day)	7 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Treatment satisfaction	Multi-Dimensional Treatment Satisfaction Measure	90-100 days post-transplant

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mayo Clinic
• Collaborators: Arizona State University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nandita Khera, MD, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Mayo Clinic Clinical Trials

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 3, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 7, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): December 7, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 4, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 13, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): January 26, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 19, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 15, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Physical Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 21-007867; NCI-2022-02761 (Registry Identifier: NCI)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No