A longitudinal study of physical activity among Malaysian breast cancer survivors
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2022
Abstract
Regular physical activity (PA) after a breast cancer diagnosis is associated with reduced mortality and better quality of life. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to explore the trends of PA among breast cancer survivors over three years and identify factors associated with low PA. Interviews on 133 breast cancer patients were conducted at baseline, one and three years after the diagnosis of breast cancer at University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Physical activity was measured by using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. PA was categorised as active (>= 600 MET-min/week) and inactive (<600 MET-min/week). We used the generalised estimating equation method to examine PA levels and factors affecting PA longitudinally. The survivors' mean age was 56.89 (+/- 10.56) years; half were Chinese (50.4%), and 70.7% were married. At baseline, 48.1% of the patients were active, but the proportion of active patients declined to 39.8% at one year and 35.3% in the third year. The mean total PA decreased significantly from 3503 +/- 6838.3 MET-min/week to 1494.0 +/- 2679.8 MET-min/week (one year) and 792.5 +/- 1364 MET-min/week (three years) (p<0.001). Three years after diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio AOR]: 1.74, p = 0.021); Malay ethnicity (AOR: 1.86, p = 0.042) and being underweight (AOR: 3.43, p = 0.004) were significantly associated with inactivity. We demonstrated that breast cancer survivors in Malaysia had inadequate PA levels at diagnosis, which decreased over time. Thus, it is vital to communicate about the benefits of PA on cancer outcomes and continue to encourage breast cancer survivors to be physically active throughout the extended survivorship period, especially in the Malay ethnic group and underweight patients.
Keywords
Quality-of-life, Exercise Intervention, Women, Diagnosis, Health, Time
Divisions
Socialprevent,surgerydept
Funders
University of Malaya Research (UMRG) from the Ministry of Education, Malaysia RP046A-15HTM,Ministry of Education, Malaysia from the Ministry of Education, Malaysia UM.C/HIR/MOHE/06
Publication Title
PLoS ONE
Volume
17
Issue
11
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Publisher Location
1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA