Physical activity of women treated for breast cancer in the context of sociodemographic factors

Introduction:
Physical activity (PA) is recommended for all cancer survivors to enhance their health and quality of life. Aim of the research: To evaluate the influence of sociodemographic factors on the levels of PA of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Material and methods:
In a study conducted at Holycross Cancer Center, Kielce, Poland, we included 135 women who were receiving treatment for breast cancer. The objective measurement of PA was performed using the ActiGraph GT3X-BT accelerometer in conjunction with ActiLife 6 software. Additionally, we administered a questionnaire to assess sociodemographic factors (age, area of residence, marital, educational, and occupational status) and medical records (comorbidities, the side of mastectomy, lymphadenectomy, and the use of radiation therapy or chemotherapy).

Results:
We observed significant differences in both the number of steps and the duration of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) based on comorbidity status. Age was notably related to the number of steps, light physical activity and MVPA. Furthermore, the area of residence was significantly related to light PA, and comorbidity status was associated with both the number of steps and MVPA.

Conclusions:
We identified several sociodemographic factors – older age, number of comorbidities, and area of residence – that were significantly related to lower level of PA among women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. These findings should be taken into account when developing organized PA guidelines and promoting an active lifestyle among this patient group.