Healing With Basketball: A unique approach to health promotion for breast cancer survivors

Background: Healing with Basketball (HWB) is a community-based basketball clinic designed to increase perceived social support and physical functioning of breast cancer survivors.

Methods: Program methodology is based on current research that the incorporation of vigorous, continual exercise can improve breast cancer survival and reduce recurrence rates. Each clinic is comprised of four basic concepts: sharing and bonding, improving overall strength and endurance, relating to others via peak performance, and emphasis on play and team work. At baseline, four months and eight months, participants complete a pre-clinic survey that measures perceived physical strength and perceived psychosocial well-being. After each clinic, participants complete a post-clinic survey and the Group Cohesion Scale questionnaire, which measures the appropriateness of the clinic and group dynamics, respectively.

Results: Evaluation of the pilot phase of HWB revealed that clinics improved participants' self-reported level of energy, strength and physical flexibility. Evaluation tools have been refined for the post-pilot phase, and updated results will be available for presentation at APHA.

Conclusions: Leveraging the fundamentals of psychology, sociology and physiology, HWB helps participants achieve a higher quality of life through increased psychosocial support and improved strength and endurance. Sharing and bonding improves participants' self-perception of support and self-motivation. After further evaluation, it is expected that this program can be replicated for breast cancer survivors across diverse community settings.