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NCT Number: NCT05884073

Exercise for Oncology Care Professionals

The goal of this preference-based pilot study will be to assess the feasibility and acceptability, and impact of a 12-week exercise intervention on oncology care provider burnout. Participants self-select to participate into one of two exercise groups. Group assignment will be based on participant preference.

Group 1: Supervised circuit-based resistance exercise

Group 2: Nature-based walking

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Key information

Conditions

Burnout, Caregiver Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Burnout, Psychological Caregiver Burden Compassion Fatigue Fatigue Mental Fatigue Motor Activity Occupational Stress Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Stress, Psychological

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Physical Activity and Cancer (PAC) Lab, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 years of age or older;
  • Able to speak/write in English;
  • Must be providing formal care to cancer patients in a clinical setting within the Halifax Municipality;
  • Actively practicing within the Nova Scotia Cancer Care Program; and
  • Able and willing to engage in low-to-moderate intensity physical activity.

Exclusion criteria

  • Exceeding Canadian physical activity guidelines of 150-minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week; and
  • Any health condition that would preclude safe participation in a new exercise program.

Treatment and study plan

Circuit-based Resistance Training

Behavioral

Participants will engage in a 12-week circuit-based resistance training program 2-3 times/week. Each supervised session will last about 30 minutes and will consist of 5 resistance exercises. Each exercise will be completed for 1 minute for a total of 5 minutes followed by a 1-minute rest. The circuit will then repeated 3 additional times (total of 4 circuits). All resistance sessions will be supervised by a certified fitness professionals.

Nature-based Walking

Behavioral

Participants will be asked to engage in 30 minutes of self-paced walking in nature 2-3 days/week. Participants will be provided with a list of resources that direct them to walkable nature/green spaces close to their home or workplace.

Primary outcomes

  1. Feasibility - Participant Fidelity (Intervention Adherence)

    Time frame: Through study completion (about 2 years)

    Participant adherence to prescribed exercise intervention

  2. Feasibility - Safety

    Time frame: Through study completion (about 2 years)

    Adverse and serious adverse events

  3. Feasibility - Retention/Attrition

    Time frame: Through study completion (about 2 years)

    Percentage of participants who complete the 12-week intervention

  4. Feasibility - Attendance

    Time frame: Through study completion (about 2 years)

    Attendance is calculated as the percentage of exercise sessions completed by the total number of available exercise sessions over the 12-week intervention.

  5. Feasibility - Recruitment

    Time frame: Through study completion (about 2 years)

    Participant accrual as defined as the number of eligible participants who express an interest in participation divided by the number of participants who consent to participate.

  6. Feasibility - Participant Experience

    Time frame: Through study completion (about 2 years)

    Interviews with a diverse group of participants will be used to assess factors influencing participant selection of intervention type/setting, adherence to and satisfaction with the selected intervention.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) for Medical Personnel (MP)

    Time frame: Baseline, mid-program (6-weeks), and post intervention (12-weeks).

    The MBI-MP is used to assess burnout in medical professionals. The 22-item, 7-point Likert scale (0 = never to 6 = everyday) assesses burnout across three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (9 items), personal accomplishment (8 items), and depersonalization (5-items).

  2. Physical Activity Behavior - Self-reported

    Time frame: Baseline, mid-program (6-weeks), and post intervention (12-weeks).

    Self-reported physical activity is assessed by the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire. Higher scores indicate higher levels of physical activity. Participants reporting moderate-to-strenuous Leisure Score Index ≥ 24 are classified as active; those reporting moderate-to-strenuous Leisure Score Index ≤ 23 are classified as insufficiently active.

  3. Resting heart rate

    Time frame: Pre to post intervention (12-week change)

    Resting heart rate

  4. Resting Blood Pressure

    Time frame: Pre to post intervention (12-week change)

    Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure

  5. Aerobic fitness

    Time frame: Pre to post intervention (12-week change)

    The six-minute walk test is used to assess aerobic capacity.

  6. Upper Body Strength

    Time frame: Pre to post intervention (12-week change)

    A hand-held dynamometer is used to assess upper body strength.

  7. Muscular Endurance

    Time frame: Pre to post intervention (12-week change)

    The 30-second sit-to-stand is used to assess lower body muscular endurance.

  8. Body Mass Index

    Time frame: Pre to post intervention (12-week change)

    Height and weight is used to assess body mass index

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Melanie Keats, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

902-494-7173

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Melanie Keats

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Cost of Caring: Examining the Role of Exercise in Mitigating Oncology Care Provider Burnout (C4C+)

Acronym: C4C+

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 1, 2023
Registry last updated
Jun 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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