Project Summary/Abstract
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women in the United States, and the population of breast cancer
survivors (BCS) is growing. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most common long term side effect of breast
cancer disease and treatment. CRF is associated with poorer quality of life and decreased physical and
psychological well-being. Therefore, identifying strategies to manage CRF for breast cancer survivorship is
critical. Strong evidence indicates increased physical activity participation is associated with lower CRF levels in
BCS and effects are superior to pharmacologic intervention. Therefore, physical activity is recommended as the
first-line treatment for CRF. However, most BCS do not meet physical activity guidelines and elevated CRF is
associated with lower physical activity levels in BCS. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions may be a promising
intervention delivery tool for BCS with CRF because of their increased convenience, flexibility, and scalability
potential, and decreased burden. However, no existing mHealth physical activity interventions have specifically
targeted BCS with CRF. The purpose of this study is to use the preparation phase of the Multiphase Optimization
Strategy (MOST) to explore the effects of different physical activity promotion intervention components in BCS
with CRF, and better understand the multi-level intervention component preferences for this population to inform
future intervention development. This project will include secondary quantitative data analyses from the
Fit2Thrive study, an mHealth physical activity intervention for BCS that used the optimization phase of MOST.
Analyses will explore whether feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and physical activity outcomes varied in the
subgroup of BCS participants with elevated CRF. Next, a needs assessment (questionnaires and semi-
structured interviews) will assess multi-level stakeholders’ (BCS with fatigue, experts, and community partners)
perceived barriers and facilitators of mHealth physical activity intervention uptake in BCS with CRF. This
fellowship offers a significant training opportunity in mHealth behavioral intervention design and dissemination,
and quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The proposed aims will create an evidence-based foundation for
the design and development of future mHealth physical activity interventions for BCS with CRF to promote health
and well-being throughout survivorship.