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International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 3/2019

01-06-2019 | Affective Disorder

Physical Activity After Breast Cancer Surgery: Does Depression Make Exercise Feel More Effortful than It Actually Is?

Authors: Avelina C. Padin, Stephanie J. Wilson, Brittney E. Bailey, William B. Malarkey, Maryam B. Lustberg, William B. Farrar, Stephen P. Povoski, Doreen M. Agnese, Raquel E. Reinbolt, Robert Wesolowski, Nicole Williams, Sagar Sardesai, Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy, Anne M. Noonan, Jeffrey B. Vandeusen, Garrie J. Haas, Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser

Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 3/2019

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Abstract

Background

Prior to treatment, breast cancer patients are less physically fit compared to peers; during cancer treatment, their fitness typically declines. Depressive symptoms are associated with reduced activity up to 5 years post-treatment, but research has not identified mechanisms linking depression and lower activity. The current study assessed relationships among breast cancer patients’ depression and perceived exertion during exercise as well as heart rate, an objective indicator of exertion.

Methods

Participants were 106 breast cancer patients, stages I–IIIA, who completed surgery but had not started adjuvant treatment. Heart rate and self-rated exertion, measured using the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, were assessed every 2 min during a graded exercise test. Depression was assessed using the CES-D and a structured clinical interview.

Results

Compared to women below the CES-D clinical cutoff, women with significant depressive symptoms reported steeper increases in exertion during the exercise test (p = .010) but had similar heart rates (p = .224) compared to women below the cutoff. Major depression history was unrelated to perceived exertion (ps > .224) and heart rate (ps > .200) during exercise.

Conclusions

Women with currently elevated depressive symptoms experienced exercise as more difficult compared to women below the CES-D cutoff, but these self-perceptions did not reflect actual heart rate differences. Depression may make exercise feel more demanding, which could ultimately decrease patients’ likelihood of engaging in regular exercise. Results support the use of depression screening tools following breast cancer surgery to identify and intervene on individuals at risk for decreased physical activity during survivorship.
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Metadata
Title
Physical Activity After Breast Cancer Surgery: Does Depression Make Exercise Feel More Effortful than It Actually Is?
Authors
Avelina C. Padin
Stephanie J. Wilson
Brittney E. Bailey
William B. Malarkey
Maryam B. Lustberg
William B. Farrar
Stephen P. Povoski
Doreen M. Agnese
Raquel E. Reinbolt
Robert Wesolowski
Nicole Williams
Sagar Sardesai
Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy
Anne M. Noonan
Jeffrey B. Vandeusen
Garrie J. Haas
Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser
Publication date
01-06-2019
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 3/2019
Print ISSN: 1070-5503
Electronic ISSN: 1532-7558
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-019-09778-3

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