The Efficacy of a Group-based Exercise and Sexuality Education Program for Prostate Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Introduction: The benefits of exercise intervention and sexuality education for prostate cancer (PCa) survivors include reductions in fatigue and improvement in quality of life (QoL) (e.g. health, psychological, social and sexual), muscular strength and aerobic fitness. This feasibility study documented the experiences of PCa survivors regarding the content and delivery of an exercise intervention and sexuality education program in North Queensland. Methods: PCa survivors included men over 50 years of age treated for or diagnosed with PCa over the last 3 years. The PCa survivors must have been: 1) free of cardiovascular or musculoskeletal conditions that may preclude safe participation in the exercise programs; 2) have medical consent from their primary clinician; and 3) not have participated in any structured exercise/sexuality education program within the last six months. Eight participants volunteered to take part in the intervention program. Pre- and post-intervention measures included fatigue, QoL, sexual function, muscular strength and endurance and aerobic fitness. Of the eight participants, five participants completed the group-based eight-week intervention program of three sessions per week and three 45-60 minute sexual education sessions. The exercise sessions commenced with a 5 minute warm-up, followed by 25-30 minutes of resistance training (RT), 15-30 minutes of aerobics training (AT) and a 5 minute cool-down. The sexuality education program involved three sessions, each of 45-60 minutes consisting of short talk/presentation, Questions and Answers and group sharing of problems and solutions. These sessions covered: 1) impact of PCa on sexual function; 2) sexuality, relationships and intimacy; 3) enjoying intimacy and sexuality despite limitations; and 4) function and formation of self-help groups. Results: At the completion of the eight-week program participants took part in one-on-one semi structured interviews. Transcriptions of interviews were analysed thematically, to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the program as perceived by participants. Perceived strengths of the program included increased motivation for exercise, the socialisation aspect of group-based training, instructor support and relevant sexuality education content. Participants felt that the program could be improved by increasing the intensity level of the aerobic training component. Discussion: Although this study was limited due to the small number of participants, findings did demonstrate that the eight-week intervention was perceived as a positive experience for PCa survivors.