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Cancer Causes & Control
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control 7/2008

01-09-2008 | Original Paper

Gynecological cancer survivors’ health behaviors and their associations with quality of life

Authors: Vanessa L. Beesley, Elizabeth G. Eakin, Monika Janda, Diana Battistutta

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 7/2008

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Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake) and body mass index of gynecological cancer survivors and their association with quality of life.

Methods

We collected cross-sectional mail survey data from 802 gynecological cancer survivors (56% response rate) The questionnaire included validated measures of health behaviors, quality of life, clinical status, and demographics.

Results

Depending on gynecological cancer subtype, 61–68% were insufficiently active or sedentary, 19–44% were obese, 31–41% had less than two daily serves of fruit, 82–89% had less than five serves of vegetables and 6–21% smoked. Significantly more endometrial than other cancer survivors were obese (44%; 95% CI 41–47%); smoking was more prevalent among cervical cancer survivors (21%; 95% CI 19–23%). Using general linear modeling we identified a positive linear trend of physical activity level with quality of life (p = 0.039). Being insufficiently active or sedentary was also associated with not meeting the guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption, with smoking and with overweight/obesity.

Conclusions

This research demonstrates the importance of integrating physical activity into follow-up of gynecological cancer survivors. Interventions to improve physical activity and test the causal effect of exercise on quality of life are a future research priority.
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Metadata
Title
Gynecological cancer survivors’ health behaviors and their associations with quality of life
Authors
Vanessa L. Beesley
Elizabeth G. Eakin
Monika Janda
Diana Battistutta
Publication date
01-09-2008
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 7/2008
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9140-y

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