Characterizing non-curative cancer patient’s preferences, barriers, and facilitators to engaging in exercise programs: A scoping review protocol

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to understand the existing knowledge on, non-curative cancer patients’ preferences, barriers, and facilitators to engaging in an exercise program, strategies for practitioners to increase the uptake of exercise program for non-curative cancer patients. Introduction: Early palliative interventions for patients with non-curative cancers have shown to have positive effects on an individual’s quality of life. A common objective of early palliative interventions is to enhance quality of life, enable symptom management and improve mental health. Although not a specific component of early palliative care, tailored exercise program have the similar goal of enhancing quality of life in non-curative cancer patients.Inclusion criteria: This review will consider sources that include non-curative cancer patients and their needs and experiences regarding participating in exercise programs. Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods and grey literature will be searched.Methods: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology. Databases to be searched from their respective inception to Sept 9, 2021 include CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and PsychINFO. A comprehensive search strategy was developed in accordance with JBI methodology to retrieve relevant sources. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts as well as full texts of relevant sources. The results of the search and the study inclusion process will be reported in full in a PRISMA-ScR flow diagram. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers and then mapped onto the Behaviour Change Wheel. The results will be presented narratively, using appropriate tables and figures.Conclusion: This review will map key barriers, facilitators, and preferences to partaking in exercise programs for individuals with non-curative cancer. This will aid in informing priorities for subsequent implementation studies.