Translating physical activity interventions for breast cancer survivors into practice: An evaluation of randomized controlled trials

Background: Although physical activity (PA) interventions have been effective for improving health outcomes in breast cancer survivors, little is known relative to their potential for translation into practice. Purpose: This review was designed to provide a quantitative estimate of the reporting of both internal and external validity in recent studies of PA in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Methods: The Reach, Efficacy/Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework was utilized to assess the reporting of internal and external validity in 25 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PA and BCS published between 1998 and 2008. Each trial was evaluated relative to the degree it met criteria for each of the above dimensions. Results: The majority of studies in this review reported dimensions reflecting internal validity. The overall level of detail relative to external validity of PA interventions was rarely reported, limiting the generalizability of study findings. Conclusions: As with many RCTs of health behavior change, detail relative to contextual elements of published PA interventions in BCS is limited. It is recommended that future physical activity interventions in BCS be designed to facilitate scalable and sustainable interventions for improving health outcomes in this population.