TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical activity is associated with clinically important differences in health-related quality of life among rural and small-town breast cancer survivors
AU - Vallance, Jeff K.
AU - Lavallee, Celeste M.
AU - Culos-Reed, Nicole S.
AU - Trudeau, Marc G.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments Dr. Jeff Vallance is supported by a Population Health Investigator Award from Alberta Innovates—Health Solutions and a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Nicole Culos-Reed is supported by a Population Health Investigator Award from Alberta Innovates—Health Solutions. The principal author would like to acknowledge Melissa McCall for the courage, strength, and inspiration she provided and continues to provide to family, friends, and cancer survivors across Southern Alberta.
Funding Information:
Sources of support This study was supported by a Project Interface Grant from Alberta Health Services—Cancer Corridor.
PY - 2012/5
Y1 - 2012/5
N2 - Purpose The primary purpose of this study was to examine differences in health-related quality of life and fatigue between rural and small-town (RST) breast cancer survivors meeting and not meeting public health physical activity (PA) recommendations. Methods Using a retrospective survey design, RST breast cancer survivors (N=524) residing in Southern Alberta, Canada completed a mailed questionnaire assessing selfreported prediagnosis, on treatment, and current PA behavior, and current health-related quality of life and fatigue. Results Analyses indicated 44.1%, 13.7%, and 34.7% of RST breast cancer survivors met public health PA recommendations during prediagnosis, on treatment, and post-treatment (i.e., current) time periods, respectively. Multivariate analyses of variance suggested indicated survivors currently meeting PA recommendations reported clinically advantageous differences in health-related quality of life and fatigue symptoms than survivors not currently meeting PA recommendations. Repeated measures analyses also indicated significant differences in PA behavior across the three cancer-related time periods (all p<0.01). Conclusions The results of this study provide evidence that RST breast cancer survivors have similar PA behavior estimates across the cancer trajectory to urban survivors. Being physically active was associated with clinically important advantages with respect to health-related quality of life and fatigue. Strategies designed to facilitate PA behavior in the RST breast cancer survivor population are warranted.
AB - Purpose The primary purpose of this study was to examine differences in health-related quality of life and fatigue between rural and small-town (RST) breast cancer survivors meeting and not meeting public health physical activity (PA) recommendations. Methods Using a retrospective survey design, RST breast cancer survivors (N=524) residing in Southern Alberta, Canada completed a mailed questionnaire assessing selfreported prediagnosis, on treatment, and current PA behavior, and current health-related quality of life and fatigue. Results Analyses indicated 44.1%, 13.7%, and 34.7% of RST breast cancer survivors met public health PA recommendations during prediagnosis, on treatment, and post-treatment (i.e., current) time periods, respectively. Multivariate analyses of variance suggested indicated survivors currently meeting PA recommendations reported clinically advantageous differences in health-related quality of life and fatigue symptoms than survivors not currently meeting PA recommendations. Repeated measures analyses also indicated significant differences in PA behavior across the three cancer-related time periods (all p<0.01). Conclusions The results of this study provide evidence that RST breast cancer survivors have similar PA behavior estimates across the cancer trajectory to urban survivors. Being physically active was associated with clinically important advantages with respect to health-related quality of life and fatigue. Strategies designed to facilitate PA behavior in the RST breast cancer survivor population are warranted.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Fatigue
KW - Health-related quality of life
KW - Physical activity
KW - Rural
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863453261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-011-1188-7
DO - 10.1007/s00520-011-1188-7
M3 - Journal Article
C2 - 21573738
AN - SCOPUS:84863453261
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 20
SP - 1079
EP - 1087
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 5
ER -