TY - JOUR
T1 - Prescribed Walking for Glycemic Control and Symptom Management in Patients without Diabetes Undergoing Chemotherapy
AU - Hammer, Marilyn J.
AU - Eckardt, Patricia
AU - Cartwright, Frances
AU - Miaskowski, Christine
N1 - Funding Information:
Accepted for publication June 28, 2020. Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eastern Nursing Research Society, Presidents’ Circle Award. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eastern Nursing Research Society. This study was approved by the New York University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board. The study was not registered as a clinical trial. Expansion of clinical trials registration went into effect in 2017. This study enrolled patients and collected data between 2015 and 2017. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. Corresponding author: Marilyn J. Hammer, PhD, DC, RN, FAAN, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, LW523, Boston, MA 02215 (e-mail: [email protected]).
Publisher Copyright:
© Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background Hyperglycemia may potentiate symptom experiences. Exercise is a nonpharmacological intervention that can potentially improve glycemic control and mitigate symptom experiences in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Objectives The primary objective was to assess the feasibility of patients engaging in a walking exercise study for 6 months. We also evaluated the effects of a prescribed walking program on glycemic control and for changes over time in the severity of pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbance in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast, lung, gynecologic, or gastrointestinal cancer. Methods A randomized pilot intervention study was conducted to evaluate differences within and between a prescribed walking program intervention group and a control group. All patients were followed for 6 months, had glycosylated hemoglobin A1c measured at enrollment and 6 months, and completed symptom questionnaires at enrollment, 3 months, and 6 months. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance. Results Most of the patients who enrolled completed the 6-month study. The few who withdrew expressed feeling overwhelmed. The sample was predominately non-Hispanic White female patients with breast cancer with a normal-to-slightly-overweight body mass index. The intervention group had a slight decrease in glycosylated hemoglobin A1c at 6 months. In addition, at 6 months, compared to the control group, the intervention group had significantly less sleep disturbance and depression. No other within- or between-group differences were found. Discussion It is feasible for patients undergoing chemotherapy to participate in a prescribed walking program. Exercise, such as walking, may decrease hyperglycemia and symptom severity. Additional research with larger samples is warranted.
AB - Background Hyperglycemia may potentiate symptom experiences. Exercise is a nonpharmacological intervention that can potentially improve glycemic control and mitigate symptom experiences in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Objectives The primary objective was to assess the feasibility of patients engaging in a walking exercise study for 6 months. We also evaluated the effects of a prescribed walking program on glycemic control and for changes over time in the severity of pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbance in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast, lung, gynecologic, or gastrointestinal cancer. Methods A randomized pilot intervention study was conducted to evaluate differences within and between a prescribed walking program intervention group and a control group. All patients were followed for 6 months, had glycosylated hemoglobin A1c measured at enrollment and 6 months, and completed symptom questionnaires at enrollment, 3 months, and 6 months. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance. Results Most of the patients who enrolled completed the 6-month study. The few who withdrew expressed feeling overwhelmed. The sample was predominately non-Hispanic White female patients with breast cancer with a normal-to-slightly-overweight body mass index. The intervention group had a slight decrease in glycosylated hemoglobin A1c at 6 months. In addition, at 6 months, compared to the control group, the intervention group had significantly less sleep disturbance and depression. No other within- or between-group differences were found. Discussion It is feasible for patients undergoing chemotherapy to participate in a prescribed walking program. Exercise, such as walking, may decrease hyperglycemia and symptom severity. Additional research with larger samples is warranted.
KW - cancer symptoms
KW - exercise
KW - glycosylated hemoglobin A1c
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U2 - 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000468
DO - 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000468
M3 - Article
C2 - 32852358
AN - SCOPUS:85097967817
SN - 0029-6562
VL - 70
SP - 6
EP - 14
JO - Nursing research
JF - Nursing research
IS - 1
ER -