Conducted within Allied Health and Health Services Research, the aim of ENABLE is to determine the feasibility, acceptability and safety of a telehealth allied health intervention involving nutrition and physical activity education combined with behaviour change and social support, during adjuvant treatment for endometrial cancer.
Aim
The main aim of the study was to find out whether people were interested in physical activity and nutrition education and social support during their treatments for endometrial cancer and whether this was practical and safe to deliver. Twenty-two people agreed to be in the study, this was half of the total number of people who we approached to be involved. Fourteen people were in the intervention group and eight in the usual care group. Most people were treated with brachytherapy following their surgery. All people involved in the study completed the assessment at nine weeks and 20/22 (91%) completed the three-month assessment.
Completion of the physical tests was lower than the questionnaires due to people not being able to attend the hospital and later in the study because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Most people in the intervention group attended at least six of the eight intervention sessions with the dietitian and the physio. There were no safety issues reported.
Themes which came from participant interviews included:
- New lifestyle behaviours were formed and existing ones improved
- Professional advice, contact with the study team and the study diary were helpful
- Contributing to research was valued
- Telehealth enabled intervention participation
Suggestions for changes to the program for the future were also made, including
- providing recipes for healthy meals and snacks, incorporating mindfulness and relaxation exercises, structured group exercise opportunities with preference for community-based settings close to home,
- additional social components to increase motivation and accountability,
- more accurate pedometers and tools for capturing information and advice received.
The findings from the study support the safety and practicality of the intervention. After modifications based on feedback from participants, we now need to test the intervention, with a larger number of people in each group to understand the effects it may have on physical activity, nutrition, symptoms and quality of life.
sponsor
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
funding
Peter Mac Foundation
principal investigator
Dr Lara Edbrooke
Email: [email protected]
Project status
Completed
publications & presentations
Edbrooke, L, Khaw, P, Freimund, A, Carpenter, D, McNally, O, Joubert, L, Loeliger, J, Traill, A, Gough, K, Mileshkin, L* and Denehy, L*. ENhAncing lifestyle Behaviors in endometriaL cancEr (ENABLE): a pilot randomized controlled trial. Integrative Cancer Therapies (under review).
Presentations:
Edbrooke, L, Khaw, P, Freimund, A, Carpenter, D, McNally, O, Joubert, L, Loeliger, J, Traill, A, Gough, K, Mileshkin, L* and Denehy, L*. ENhAncing lifestyle Behaviors in endometriaL cancEr (ENABLE): a pilot randomized controlled trial. COSA Annual Scientific Meeting 2020 (virtual - eposter).
Edbrooke, L, Khaw, P, Freimund, A, Carpenter, D, McNally, O, Joubert, L, Loeliger, J, Traill, A, Gough, K, Mileshkin, L* and Denehy, L*. ENhAncing lifestyle Behaviors in endometriaL cancEr (ENABLE): a pilot randomized controlled trial. CNSA pre-conference workshop 2022, Brisbane (invited speaker).
contact details
Dr Lara Edbrooke
Ph: +61 3 8559 5234
Email: [email protected]
