Evaluating an online trauma-informed care training module for exercise oncology professionals: a mixed-method study of acceptability and potential for effective behaviour change.

Research highlights the importance of exercise in holistic cancer care, yet the prevalence of trauma among cancer patients underscores the need to integrate trauma-informed approaches into exercise oncology practice. This study explored the acceptability and potential efficacy of an online trauma-informed care training module designed for exercise oncology professionals. Fifty-five Australian exercise professionals with experience in oncology completed the module and evaluated it through an online survey, with a subset of 22 also participating in semi-structured interviews. Survey findings indicated high acceptability and strong potential for efficacy, assessed using the COM-B model of behaviour change. Interviews revealed that the engaging design and perceived value of the module supported its acceptability, while its role as a formalising framework, its influence on intention toward trauma-informed care, and its guidance for practical implementation shaped perceptions of efficacy. Overall, findings suggest that brief online training can consolidate existing knowledge and foster intentions to integrate trauma-informed care into exercise oncology services. Future development should prioritise scaffolding opportunities that support the transition from intention to practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Embedding trauma-informed principles into exercise services may enhance psychological safety, communication, and shared decision-making, thereby improving willingness to engage and persist with physical activity during and after treatment. Brief, scalable e-learning for clinicians could help standardise these practices across settings and support more equitable, person-centred exercise care-particularly for survivors with prior trauma or from marginalised groups.