Background: For women diagnosed with breast cancer, regular exercise and healthy eating during and following treatment has been shown to improve both physical and emotional health, overall quality of life and may also reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Aim: To develop an online training program that is accessible and equitable to all breast cancer survivors that increases healthy living knowledge, skills and confidence.
Method: The online program was developed in collaboration with exercise physiologists, dietitians and key cancer stakeholders. It has three modules (health and wellbeing, behaviour change, emotional wellbeing) comprising interactive text, image, video and workbook activities. The program ran for eight weeks. At the end of each module participants completed a quiz and were required to obtain an 80% correct response rate to pass. A post-program online evaluation survey was emailed to participants on program close. Evaluation will comprise data analysis of post-program evaluation survey results, module completion rates along with module quiz proficiency scores.
Results: In total, 112 participants (44% from a rural location) registered. The program ran August to October 2016 and evaluation will be completed in November. Results will be presented on improvements in participant knowledge, skills and confidence in the areas of physical activity, healthy eating, behaviour change and emotional wellbeing. Anecdotal evidence collected so far indicates the program offered improved access and equity to information and resources especially to individuals who face barriers such as living in rural locations.
Conclusions: Findings from this project will inform other health promotion and cancer organisations about whether an online platform is an effective and accessible delivery method for improving healthy living knowledge, skills and confidence of breast cancer survivors. Further work will need to be done to measure long term behaviour change and improved cancer survivorship outcomes.