Exercise Counseling Via Mobile Chat for Older Cancer Survivors

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG · May 26, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how effective a 12-week mobile chat program, called ChatEx, can be in helping older cancer survivors increase their exercise habits. The goal is to see if regular messages can motivate participants to do more physical activity, like walking or other aerobic exercises, both right after the program and three months later. They are looking for 196 cancer survivors who are 60 years or older, have finished their main cancer treatment, and can communicate in Cantonese or Mandarin.

Participants will be randomly assigned to either the ChatEx program, which includes supportive messages and two in-person exercise sessions, or a control group that receives basic information about exercise safety. Those in the ChatEx group can expect to receive encouraging messages that help them stay active. It’s important to note that participants should not have medical conditions that would prevent them from exercising safely, and they should not already be meeting the recommended exercise levels. This trial aims to help improve the health and quality of life for older survivors by promoting a more active lifestyle.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. aged ≥60
• • 2. diagnosed with stage I-III non-metastatic cancer (rationale: exercise levels and interests in receiving exercise interventions are similar across cancer types in post-treatment survivors
• • 3. completed primary treatment with curative intent (rationale: post-cancer treatment period imposes less exercise barriers related to treatment schedule and side-effects, and is most desired by cancer patients to start/resume exercising
• • 4. can communicate in Cantonese or Mandarin
• • 5. have an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1
• • 6. own a smartphone and proficient in using IM
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. contraindications to unsupervised exercise (e.g., dementia, recent myocardial infarction or stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, walker or wheelchair use)
• • 2. already performing ≥150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise and two sessions of resistance exercise per week (already meeting recommended exercise guidelines).