Maintenance of lifestyle changes following lifestyle interventionsin breast cancer survivors: A systematic literature review

To gain more insight into promising strategies to achieve sustained optimal lifestyle and body composition changes among breast cancer survivors, which may improve health-related outcomes, this systematic review aimed to synthesise scientific evidence on maintenance of intervention effects on lifestyle and body composition in breast cancer survivors and to identify, describe and synthesise methods and strategies associated with effectiveness. Four databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE) were systematically searched for papers from 2010 onwards. Randomised controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions among breast cancer survivors reporting outcomes (physical (in)activity, diet, body composition, sleep, alcohol consumption and/or smoking) at baseline, end of intervention and follow-up were included. Behaviour change techniques were coded using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy. Risk of bias and reporting completeness were evaluated using the RoB2 and the CONSORT checklist. Thirty papers were included. Few studies found intervention effects at end of intervention and at follow-up: 3 out of 17 assessing physical (in)activity, 3/6 assessing dietary outcomes, 1/8 assessing body composition and 1/8 assessing sleep. The low number of effective interventions hampered the synthesis of methods and strategies associated with effectiveness. This detailed overview of current scientific evidence provides guidance for future research.