Cancer Control Research
1R21CA089519-01
Basen-Engquist, Karen M.
BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND QOL
Abstract
DESCRIPTION: (adapted from Investigator's abstract) Breast cancer survivors
represent a significant and growing segment of the long-term cancer survivor
population. While more patients are living disease-free, they frequently are
not symptom-free as problems may persist that affect both emotional (depression
and anxiety) and physical (weight gain, fatigue, lymphedema) functioning.
Although research indicates quality of life may be compromised in breast cancer
survivors, no studies have attempted to provide a comprehensive intervention
that targets multiple quality of life domains in these women. Previous studies
suggest that psychological interventions may result in improvements in
emotional well-being, but they are not effective in alleviating physical
symptoms or restoring physical functioning. Physical activity has been
demonstrated to have a positive effect on both emotional well-being and
physical functioning. A physical activity intervention may serve as a tertiary
prevention strategy that increases the quality of life of breast cancer
survivors because of its potential effectiveness in targeting both emotional
and physical symptoms that persist. Data from the Lifestyle Physical Activity
(LPA) intervention from Project Active, on which our LPA intervention will be
based, suggests that accumulating short bouts of moderate physical activity
throughout the day results in increases in physical activity and fitness, and
decreases in cardiovascular risk factors. Other studies indicate physical
activity improves overall quality of life, including both emotional and
physical well-being. The proposed project will involve collecting data to adapt
the LPA intervention for breast cancer survivors and pilot test the
intervention. Using interviews and questionnaires, we will conduct a
descriptive study of breast cancer survivors to assess their quality of life,
the prevalence of specific health and emotional problems, levels of physical
activity, and preferences regarding intervention format and logistics. We will
also pilot test proposed questionnaires to assess their psychometric properties
in the population. Finally, we will pilot test the LPA intervention, conduct
process evaluation, and explore its effects on mediating (physical activity,
self-efficacy, decisional balance, processes of change, social support) and the
outcome variables (emotional well-being and physical functioning). The
information obtained in this pilot project will be used to propose a larger
group randomized trial of the LPA intervention in the breast cancer survivor
population.
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