How Easy-to-Follow Exercises Can Help Cancer Patients With Anxiety While Receiving Chemotherapy

Christine Mavrogiannopoulou45 enrolled

Overview

Cancer is one of the main causes of death, and this study looks at how light exercise and stretching might reduce anxiety in patients receiving chemotherapy. The research took place in a hospital's daily care unit and used a study design where each patient was compared to themselves, measuring anxiety before and after the exercise program.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Cancer Exercise Stress

Interventions

Mild Exercise and stretchesOTHER

For 15 minutes the patient received an individualized mild workout program intending to relax and relieve some of his stress. The workout includes deep breaths, easy-to-do exercises, and stretches from lying on the bed, sitting in a chair, or standing. I always followed the patient's tempo and provided him with as many breaks as he needed.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 90 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patients (\>18 years old) with cancer receiving chemotherapy * Signed patient consent Exclusion Criteria: * The denial of the patient * The occurrence of side effects from the treatment (such as dizziness, nausea, severe fatigue) * Patients with low cognitive level where they could not follow simple instructions * Patients with hearing disorders that prevented them from following simple instructions * Patients who could not mobilize independently.

Locations (1)

General Oncological Hospital of Kifisia Oi Agioi Anargyroi

Athens, Kifissia, Greece

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The Change in the Anxiety Assessment Scale (STAI-State) for Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Doing Mild Exercises and Stretches

The STAI-State (Greek version, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory -STAI-) will be used to assess anxiety levels in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, before and after a brief exercise intervention. The STAI-State scale has a 20-item questionnaire where individuals rate how they feel at a particular moment on a scale from "not at all" to "very much so." "Not at all" equal to 1, "Somewhat" to 2, "Moderately so" to 3, "Very much so" to 4. Scores are submitted and range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety. No subscale is required to compute At baseline (Time = 0 minutes), participants complete the STAI-State scale. They then engage in a 15-minute mild exercise and stretching program tailored to their physical condition. In some cases, particularly among younger participants, the session may be conducted in small groups of up to 2 individuals. Immediately post-intervention (approximately 20 minutes from baseline), participants complete the STAI-State scale again.

Time frame: Baseline and approximately 20 minutes post-intervention

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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