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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

WR2_1: Abstract presentations: Implementing Physical Activity for Health: From Policy to Practice
Location: White room 2
Session Chair: Mark Stoutenberg

Presentation 1

11:30am - 11:40am

Implementation determinants and strategies for community-based physical activity services for cancer survivors in Ireland: a multi-stakeholder qualitative study

Elisa Habluetzel Esposito¹, Brona Kehoe¹, Mairead Cantwell², Dean McDonnel¹, Patricia Sheehan¹

1: South East Technological University, Ireland; 2: Technological University of the Shannon, Ireland

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) improves quality of life for people living with cancer. However, survivors struggle to engage in sufficient PA, highlighting the need for accessible community-based health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) support. Community cancer support centres represent promising settings for delivering such services, yet implementing programmes in real-world contexts remains a challenge. This study aims to identify context-specific determinants and feasible implementation strategies for community-based PA services for people living with and beyond cancer in Ireland.

Methods:
This formative qualitative study included semi-structured focus groups with cancer support centre staff (service providers) and people living with and beyond cancer (service users), alongside an interview with a national-level decision maker. Consultations were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis combined deductive coding using constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) Addendum with inductive thematic analysis. Determinants were mapped to implementation strategies from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) taxonomy using the CFIR-ERIC Matching Tool.

Results: Determinants were identified across all five CFIR domains. Key barriers included a cultural 'mind yourself' attitude discouraging PA, inconsistent referral pathways, and lack of specialised staff in centres. Facilitators included strong deliverer commitment to improving current services, high survivor demand, and existing funding. Relevant ERIC strategies included educational outreach, inter-organisational alliance building, promoting adaptability, and accessing new funding.

Conclusions: By integrating stakeholder perspectives with theory-informed analysis, this study identifies specific implementation strategies that will increase the uptake of HEPA interventions supporting PA participation among cancer survivors within their local environments.

Funding source: Research Ireland