BackgroundThe aim of this study is to review accelerometer wear methods and correlations between accelerometry and physical activity questionnaire data, depending on participant characteristics.MethodsWe included 57 articles about physical activity measurement by accelerometry and questionnaires. Criteria were to have at least 100 participants of at least 18 years of age with manuscripts available in English. Accelerometer wear methods were compared. Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients between questionnaires and accelerometers and differences between genders, age categories, and body mass index (BMI) categories were assessed.ResultsIn most investigations, requested wear time was seven days during waking hours and devices were mostly attached on hips with waist belts. A minimum of four valid days with wear time of at least ten hours per day was required in most studies. Correlations (r = Pearson, ρ = Spearman) of total questionnaire scores against accelerometer measures across individual studies ranged from r = 0.08 to ρ = 0.58 (P < 0.001) for men and from r = −0.02 to r = 0.49 (P < 0.01) for women. Correlations for total physical activity among participants with ages ≤65 ranged from r = 0.04 to ρ = 0.47 (P < 0.001) and from r = 0.16 (P = 0.02) to r = 0.53 (P < 0.01) among the elderly (≥65 years). Few studies investigated stratification by BMI, with varying cut points and inconsistent results.ConclusionAccelerometers appear to provide slightly more consistent results in relation to self-reported physical activity among men. Nevertheless, due to overall limited consistency, different aspects measured by each method, and differences in the dimensions studied, it is advised that studies use both questionnaires and accelerometers to gain the most complete physical activity information.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3172-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Esophageal cancer patients frequently succumb to their disease. However, patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy who achieve pCR have a higher rate of R0 resections, fewer recurrences, and improved 5-year OS and DFS.

This study provides insight into the architecture of common genetic variation contributing to CRC etiology and improves risk prediction for individualized screening.

BACKGROUND The association between body mass index as a measure of obesity and rectal cancer outcomes has been inconsistent. Radiologic measures of visceral adiposity using CT scans have not been well characterized among rectal cancer patients. The objective of this study was to examine quantitative radiologic measures of visceral obesity compared with body mass index in predicting patient outcomes among patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation and resection for locally advanced rectal cancers. STUDY DESIGN We identified 99 rectal adenocarcinoma patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation and surgical resection. Visceral and subcutaneous fat areas, as well as perinephric fat thickness (PNF), were recorded and categorized as obese (body mass index ≥30, visceral fat area to subcutaneous fat area ratio [V/S] ≥0.4, or median PNF). The Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards models evaluated overall and disease-free survival differences by adiposity. RESULTS Viscerally obese rectal cancer patients (V/S >0.4 or PNF) were more likely to be older, male, and have pre-existing obesity-related conditions (eg, diabetes, hypertension, and/or hyper-cholesterolemia). Elevated V/S or PNF was associated with shorter disease-free survival (p = 0.02) or overall survival time (p = 0.047), respectively. Among patients with well to moderately differentiated tumors, visceral obesity was associated with poorer disease-free survival (V/S >0.4: adjusted hazard ratio = 5.0; 95% CI, 1.2–22.0). CONCLUSIONS Visceral fat area to subcutaneous fat area ratio and PNF were strongly associated with key preoperative metabolic comorbidities, and body mass index was not. Findings suggests that elevated visceral adiposity was associated with an increased risk of recurrence, which was most evident among patients with well to moderately differentiated tumors and those with incomplete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment. Quantitative measures of visceral adiposity warrant large-scale prospective evaluation.

Pulmonary function, as measured by spirometry (FEV1 or FVC), is an important independent predictor of morbidity and mortality in elderly persons. In this study we examined the predictors of longitudinal decline in lung function for participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). The CHS was started in 1990 as a population-based observational study of cardiovascular disease in elderly persons. Spirometry testing was conducted at baseline, 4 and 7 yr later. The data were analyzed using a random effects model (REM) including an AR(1) error structure. There were 5,242 subjects (57.6% female, mean age 73 yr, 87.5% white and 12.5% African-American) with eligible FEV1 measures representing 89% of the baseline cohort. The REM results showed that African-Americans had significantly lower spirometry levels than whites but that their rate of decline with age was significantly less. Subjects reporting congestive heart failure (CHF), high systolic blood pressure (> 160 mm Hg), or taking beta-blockers had significantly lower spirometry levels; however, the effects of high blood pressure and taking beta-blockers diminished with increasing age. Chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, and asthma were associated with reduced spirometry levels. The most notable finding of these analyses was that current smoking (especially for men) was associated with more rapid rates of decline in FVC and FEV1. African-Americans (especially women) had slower rates of decline in FEV1 than did whites. Although participants with current asthma had a mean 0.5 L lower FEV1 at their baseline examination, they did not subsequently experience more rapid declines in FEV1.