Published in:
01-10-2014 | Original Article
Diet and Exercise Intervention Adherence and Health-Related Outcomes among Older Long-Term Breast, Prostate, and Colorectal Cancer Survivors
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 2/2014
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Background
Diet and exercise interventions for cancer survivors result in health benefits; however, few studies have examined health outcomes in relation to adherence.
Purpose
We examined associations between adherence to components of a diet–exercise intervention and survivors’ physical and mental health.
Methods
A randomized controlled trial tested a telephone and mailed print intervention among 641 older, overweight, long-term survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Dietary and exercise behaviors were assessed at 14 time points throughout the year-long intervention; health outcomes were examined postintervention.
Results
Telephone session attendance had significant indirect relationships with health outcomes through intervention-period exercise and dietary behavior. Attendance showed positive indirect relationships with physical function (β = 0.11, p < 0.05), basic and advanced lower extremity function (β = 0.10, p < 0.05/β = 0.09, p < 0.05), and mental health (β = 0.05, p < 0.05), and a negative indirect relationship with body mass index (β = −0.06, p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Session attendance is vital in facilitating improvement in health behaviors and attendant outcomes (Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT00303875).