Introduction

Thank you for your interest in participating in this research project. The following few pages will provide you with further information about the project, so that you can decide if you would like to take part in this research.

Please take the time to read this information carefully. You may ask questions about anything you don’t understand or want to know more about.

Your participation is voluntary. If you don’t wish to take part, you don’t have to. If you begin participating, you can also stop at any time.

What is this research about?

This research is interested in participation and acceptability of a community-based physical activity program for people living with and beyond cancer.

In the lead up to a 2024 fun run, this research will deliver a multi-week walking and running fitness program that will be offered to people who have or have had cancer. Each week there will be three walking or running training sessions that people will be able to participate in. The program has been designed for all people, levels of fitness, ability, confidence, and pace.

The research will examine who participates in the program, how many people participate, and how they participate. The research will also examine acceptability and satisfaction with the program.

What will I be asked to do?

Should you agree to participate you will be able to attend any of the group walking and running sessions prior to a 2024 Fun Run. Each session will last for up to 60-minutes, will include some warmup and strength exercises, walking exercises, running exercises, and a cool down.

The sessions will be group based and delivered by a mix of people including health professionals (physiotherapists or exercise physiologists), women who have had cancer and have running experience, and running coaches. You will be able to conduct all exercises at your own pace and ask for modifications at any time.

Prior to participating, you will be asked information about your medical history that may affect exercise. This includes whether you have or have had a cardiovascular condition or symptoms, a recent asthma attack that has required hospitalisation, diabetes, cancer that has spread to the bone, or any other condition that may affect your ability to participate. If you answer yes to any of these items, you may still be able to participate but we will ask you to provide written clearance from a medical professional like your GP prior to participating. We may also modify some activities to ensure safety.

Prior to participation, you will be asked to provide some demographic information (i.e., age, sex, your postcode, working status), information on your prior cancer experiences (i.e., age at diagnosis, stage of cancer, treatment received, and current symptoms), current physical activity levels, confidence, and participation goals. This information will help us understand who participates in the program. This information can be collected either online via survey prior to attending your first session or in person via a tablet at the start of your first session and will take 5 – 10 minutes to complete.

During each session, we will ask you to tell us information about how hard you feel you are working. At the end of the program, we will ask you about your experience of participation, whether you thought the program was acceptable, and what influenced program satisfaction. This will help us understand what we may need to change if we deliver this program again. This information will be collected via online surveys that we will ask you to complete within 2-weeks of completing the program.

The information outlined above will be collected via surveys from all participants. You will also be given the option of participating in a single online one-to-one interview (30-minutes) or focus group (60-minutes). These interviews and focus groups will further explore factors related to acceptability of the running program.

What are the possible benefits?

Individual participants may improve their fitness by participating in the walking or running program. Participating in physical activity can also improve health outcomes including cancer symptoms like pain and fatigue. Each running session will be catered with tea, coffee, juice, water, and healthy snack food. Participants who complete the qualitative interview will be given a $20 gift voucher. Participants who complete the surveys and interview will be offered a free Can Walk Can Run t-shirt.

The findings from this research may be used to inform the design of future physical activity programs for people who have had cancer. These programs are more likely to be acceptable and sustainable when they consult with stakeholders to understand participant needs and preferences.  

What are the possible risks?

Participants may experience a physical accident, such as a trip or fall, or physical injury such as a muscle tear or strain when participating in exercise. There is also a low-risk participants may also experience a cardiovascular event like a heart attack. Participants may experience emotional distress or discomfort when discussing cancer.

Research staff will monitor participant experience and well-being throughout the program to help reduce risks. Research staff will have current first aid and CPR and will have a defibrillator onsite training to respond to any injury or event. In the event of an injury or emotional distress, researchers will refer the participant to the Cancer Council support and information line (13 11 20), refer them to a physiotherapist or their GP, or call 000, as appropriate. Participants will be able to withdraw from the research at any time.

Do I have to take part?

No. Participation is completely voluntary. You can withdraw at any time. There will be no implications for withdrawal, and it will be possible for you to withdraw any data already collected.

Will I hear about the results of this project?

Individual participants will receive a summary of research discussion points as well as a summary of main study findings within 12-months of participation.

What will happen to information about me?

All information you provide will be kept private and confidential. It will be stored securely on password protected university drives, and no one will be able to access it apart from the researchers. Your name will be replaced by a number in our records, and in any report or publication the information will be provided in such a way that you cannot be identified. Data will be used for this study only and will be destroyed five years after publication.

Who is funding this project?

This research project and the project supervisor, Dr Christopher Swain, is being funded by the Victorian Cancer Agency (ECRF 22011). The total amount of funding received is $330,000 over three years.

Where can I get further information?

If you would like more information about the project, please contact the researcher; Dr Christopher Swain (email: Christopher.swain@unimelb.edu.au)

Who can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?

This project has human research ethics approval from The University of Melbourne [Project ID 27724]. If you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of this research project, which you do not wish to discuss with the research team, you should contact the Research Integrity Administrator, Office of Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010. Tel: +61 3 8344 1376 or Email: research-integrity@unimelb.edu.au. All complaints will be treated confidentially. In any correspondence please provide the name of the research team and/or the name or ethics ID number of the research project.