Table 1 Characteristics of included studies

Musanti 2012 [41]

55 women with Stage I–IIIB breast cancer

Age: 50.5 ± 7.5 years

12 weeks of home-based exercise with written guidance, self-monitoring of heart rate and weekly phone calls and an exercise log

Aerobic exercise (3–5 bouts of 15–30 min per week)

or

Resistance exercise (3 bouts of 10–12 reps of 8 exercises for 1 set per week)

or

Aerobic and resistance (3–5 bouts of aerobic and 2 bouts of resistance per week)

Aerobic exercise: 40–65% of the estimated maximal heart rate

Resistance exercise: 3–6/10 on Borg CR 10 scale, resistance was progressed if and RPE of > 6/10 was achieved by the 12th repetition.

Exercise logs completed by participants

Unclear; 81–91% adherence to the exercise prescription was reported at 12 weeks but only 50% of the participants completed exercise logs.

9. Graded tasks, 16. Prompt self-monitoring of behaviour, 17. Prompt self-monitoring of behavioural outcome, 21. Instruction on how to perform behaviour, 22. Demonstration of behaviour, 26. Prompt practice

Exercise and self-esteem model [42]

Pinto et al. 2005 [39]

86 women with Stage 0–II breast cancer

Age: 53.1 ± 9.8 years

12 weeks of home-based exercise self-monitoring of activity via heart rate, pedometers and an exercise log with weekly phone calls

Aerobic exercise; 2–5 bouts per weeks for 10–30 min per bout

55–65% of estimated maximum heart rate

7-day Physical activity recall – interviewer administered questionnaire, 3-day uniaxial accelerometry

55.8% of participants meeting prescription of 150 min of physical activity per week at 12 weeks.

5. Goal setting, 8. Barrier identification/Problem solving, 12. Prompt rewards contingent on effort or progress towards goal, 16. Prompt self-monitoring of behaviour, 17. Prompt self-monitoring of behavioural outcome, 19. Feedback on performance

Transtheoretical model [43]

Pinto et al. 2013 [40]

26 women and 20 men with colorectal cancer (26 with colon cancer and 20 with rectal cancer)

Age: 57.6 ± 11.2 years

12 weeks of home-based physical activity counselling with self-monitoring of activity via heart rate, pedometers and an exercise log with and weekly phone calls

Aerobic exercise; 2–5 bouts per weeks for 10–30 min per bout

64–76% of estimated maximum heart rate

7-day Physical activity recall – interviewer administered questionnaire, 3-day uniaxial accelerometry, CHAMPS questionnaire

64.7% of individuals achieved 150 min per week of physical activity after 12 weeks vs 40.9% of controls

5. Goal setting, 8. Barrier identification/Problem solving, 9. Graded tasks, 12. Prompt rewards contingent on effort or progress towards goal, 16. Prompt self-monitoring of behaviour, 17. Prompt self-monitoring of behavioural outcome, 19. Feedback on performance, 21. Instruction on how to perform behaviour, 23. Teaching to use prompts, 24. Environmental restructuring, 26. Prompt practice

Transtheoretical model [43], Social cognitive theory [44]