Effects of reallocating sedentary time with physical activity on quality of life indicators in breast cancer survivors

Abstract

Objectives Physical activity is associated with better quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer survivors. However, it is unknown the extent to which time spent sedentary or replacing this time with active behaviors may affect QOL. Our aim was to determine the effect of substituting time between sedentary and active behaviors on QOL indicators in breast cancer survivors. Methods An isotemporal substitution approach was used to examine the associations of reallocating time to sedentary and active behaviors measured by accelerometry with Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment—Breast (FACT‐B; total, physical, social, emotional, functional well‐being, and breast cancer–specific concerns) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores in a pooled analysis of breast cancer survivors (n = 753; Mage = 56.9 ± 9.5 y) from two observational studies. Results Reallocating 30 minutes of sedentary time to 30 minutes of moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was associated with improved FACT‐B total (B = 3.0; 95% CI, 0.6‐4.5), physical well‐being (B = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.33‐1.2), and functional well‐being (B = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.03‐1.2) scores. Reallocating 30 minutes of light activity to 30 minutes of MVPA was associated with improved FACT‐B total (B = 2.4; 95% CI, 0.3‐6.0) and physical well‐being (B = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.27‐1.2) scores. There was no significant substitution of time effects on HADS scores. Conclusions Substituting sedentary time with MVPA showed the greatest range of effects across QOL indicators. These results can inform intervention development interventions and more comprehensive activity recommendations for breast cancer survivors.

Association between cardiac autonomic modulation and sedentary behavior in breast cancer survivors: a 12-month cohort study

“…As practical application, the present study reinforces the recent recommendation that every cancer survivor needs to avoid physical inactivity, by including specific doses of aerobic and resistance training, or a combination of both [5], as well as reallocating sedentary time with bouts of physical activity from different intensities, mainly with those from moderate-to-vigorous [36]. Guidelines also recommend that cancer survivors should be physically active within their capacity and cancer status and suggest that post-diagnosis physical activity plays greater role for health benefits than physical activity practiced prior cancer diagnosis [27], so it is never too late to start.…”

Symptom burden among older breast cancer survivors: The Thinking and Living With Cancer (TLC) study

“…We did find that being more physically active did reduce symptoms and improve well‐being. Lifestyle interventions, including exercise, reductions in sedentary time, yoga, cognitive retraining, and weight loss, have been shown to increase well‐being in other studies, so this remains an important topic for survivorship care visits …”

Substituting bouts of sedentary behavior with physical activity: adopting positive lifestyle choices in people with a history of cancer

“…This method has been used to examine associations in health outcomes across young populations, adults and the elderly, and specific clinical populations [40]. This technique has been used in people with breast cancer to determine associations in quality of life [41], WC and BMI [19], cancer-related cognitive impairment [42], and cancer recurrence biomarkers [43] among people with colorectal cancer to look at associations in health-related quality of life [44], and among people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma to explore associations in fatigue and quality of life [45]. However, in some cases, only waking time activities were included [42,43].…”