Abstract
This study investigated the physical activity experiences of people living with and beyond cancer (PLWBC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants attended the cancer and rehabilitation exercise (CARE) programme delivered by a football community trust. Staff (n = 2) and participants (n = 9) attended semi-structured interviews investigating the PA participation and experiences of attending/delivering different modes of CARE, including exercise classes delivered outdoors and delivered online. Interviews also investigated participant aspirations for returning to CARE sessions delivered in person indoors. The findings show that the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions impacted on PA participation, yet exercise sessions provided via CARE offered participants an important opportunity to arrest their inactivity, keep active and maintain their fitness and functionality. Barriers to participation of CARE online included access to IT infrastructure, internet connectivity and IT skills and comfort using IT. Regarding CARE outdoors, the weather, range of equipment, variety of exercises and the lack of toilets and seats were barriers. In the different CARE modes, the skills of delivery staff who were sensitive to the needs of participants, social support, and the need for participants to maintain good mental and social health were important facilitators for engagement and are considerations for programme delivery. CARE helped PLWBC to keep physically active.
Highlights
The UK Chief Medical Officer highlights the beneficial role that physical activity (PA)can have for the prevention and management of several long-term conditions, including cardio-vascular disease (CVD), mental health and some cancers [1,2]
There has been an increase in the delivery of health improvement interventions offered through football community trusts, the charitable arm of professional football clubs, including those aimed at a range of long-term conditions and health enhancing behaviours [6,7]
The cancer and rehabilitation exercise (CARE) programme is delivered by Notts County Foundation (NCF), an established football community trust organisation with a proven track record in delivering successful community-based health improvement interventions [10,19]
Summary
The UK Chief Medical Officer highlights the beneficial role that physical activity (PA)can have for the prevention and management of several long-term conditions, including cardio-vascular disease (CVD), mental health and some cancers [1,2]. Physical inactivity continues to be a public health concern; this is especially the case in those people who suffer with long-term conditions [1–4]. There has been an increase in the delivery of health improvement interventions offered through football community trusts, the charitable arm of professional football clubs, including those aimed at a range of long-term conditions and health enhancing behaviours [6,7]. Trusts deploy their unique reach of the ‘football brand’ to include people, product, processes, and places to connect and engage a range of PA and health priority groups [6–8]. A recent review of health improvement interventions delivered in the English Football League identified
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