Exercising Together: An Intervention for Couples Coping With Prostate Cancer During Radiation Treatment

Physical intimacy

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Physical intimacy behavior of patient and spouse will be measured using the Physical intimacy behavior scale. Respondents are asked to report the frequency with which they engage in, initiate and avoid each of four affectionate and two sexual behaviors. Three scales assess the frequency, initiation and avoidance of affectionate and sexual behaviors.

Strain

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Spouse strain will be measured with the role overload scale, which assesses the extent a spouse's time and energy are exhausted by demands of care for their partner.

Dyadic coping

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Two types of dyadic coping will be measured. Active engagement assesses the extent to which the survivor (SVR) and spouse view their partner's active involvement and joint problem-solving. Participants respond to five items using a Likert scale from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). Higher scores indicate higher levels of perceived active engagement. Protective buffering assesses the extent to which the SVR and spouse view their partner's use of hiding concerns and denying worries. Participants respond to six items using a Likert scale from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). Higher scores indicate higher levels of perceived protective buffering.

Depressive symptoms

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Will be measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. Scores range from 0-60, with higher scores indicating \> depressive symptomology.

Anxiety

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Will be measured from the Symptom Checklist - 90 Anxiety Scale (SCL-90 ANX) which includes 10 items representing anxiety symptoms, scored on a 5 point scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely).

Exercise outside the exercise intervention

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Will measure outside activity with the Modified Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ). This survey, reported in average minutes per week over the past month, will be broken down into four categories: mild effort (minimal effort), moderate exercise (not exhausting), and strenuous exercise (heart beats rapidly), as well as resistance (weight bearing exercise). The questionnaire will be scored three different ways, to better capture different aspects of PA: 1) total activity = vigorous + moderate + mild + resistance 2) physical activity guidelines = moderate + (vigorous x 2) 3) moderate + vigorous.

Subjective evaluation of Exercising Together Program

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

For couples who opt to participate in Exercising Together will also ask them to fill out a survey asking about their experience in the program. They will be asked to rate their overall experience in the exercise classes using a 1 to 10 likert scale with 1 being poor and 10 being exceptional as well as indicate how much they agree or disagree with perceptions of the class.

Physical function

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Will be measured by the Physical Performance Battery (PPB), developed for the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly study. The PPB consists of three timed tests: 5 repeated chair stands, standing balance, and gait speed over 4 meters. Each test is scored 0 (unable) to 4, based on quartiles of performance, then scores are summed. Higher scores indicate better physical function.

400m walk Test

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

The 400m walk test is a self-paced, submaximal exercise test. Participants will be required to move as fast as they can along a 20m course, demarked by two cones, until they have completed 10 laps of the course (400m). The time taken to complete the test will be recorded.

Acceptability

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post-radiation treatment

Will be measured by the average attendance at classes over the course of his radiation therapy. This will be calculated as the total number of classes attended divided by the total possible they could attend over the course of radiation therapy. Attendance will be categorized by sessions couples attended together and those where only one partner attends. Will evaluate using descriptive statistics.

Feasibility

时间窗: Up to 8 weeks post radiation treatment

Will be determined as the number of couples who enroll out of those approached and the number of couples who opt to participate in Exercising Together versus to participate as controls. Will evaluate using descriptive statistics.