Intervention Components Promoting Adherence to Strength Training Exercise in Breast Cancer Survivors With Bone Loss

Numerous studies have reported that exercise is safe and beneficial for breast cancer survivors; however, long-term adherence to exercise programs is not easy to accomplish. This secondary analysis examined the demographic and clinical characteristics, adherence to exercise, and cognitive—behavioral intervention components data collected on 120 postmenopausal women with a history of breast cancer and bone loss who had been randomized to the exercise group in a 24-month study. Hierarchical regression was used to identify variables that predicted adherence to exercise. Mean adherence to exercises was 61.89%. Feedback and support were the most frequently used cognitive—behavioral intervention components. In hierarchical regression, predictors for adherence to exercise were feedback (β = .40, p < .001) and adherence to exercise in the previous time period (β = .31, p < .001). Participants receiving more frequent feedback had higher adherence to exercise.