Physical Activity in Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review

Problem Identification: Physical activity, a precision health strategy, positively affects biopsychosocial health in adult cancer survivors. However, understanding its effects among young adult (YA) cancer survivors is limited. The purpose of this scoping review was to explore existing research on physical activity in YA cancer survivors.

Literature Search: CINAHL^®, PubMed^®, PsycINFO^®, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched, producing 63 articles and 28 grey materials.

Data Evaluation: Data extraction, guided by the revised symptom management model, included research aims, sample, design, primary outcome measures, and effects of physical activity.

Synthesis: Findings of 35 review articles were reported under three main categories.

Implications for Research: Lack of clinical guidelines and limited research specific to YA cancer survivors hinders physical activity’s use as a symptom management strategy. Research is needed that addresses the development and clinical implementation of physical activity guidelines.