Health beliefs and engagement in moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity among cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (PA) can alleviate many adverse side effects and symptoms caused by cancer treatments; yet, most cancer survivors are insufficiently active. Evidence shows that theory-based PA behavior change interventions are more effective than non-theory-based interventions; thus, it is necessary to ascertain modifiable theoretical factors associated with moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA among cancer survivors. Drawing on the health belief model (HBM), the associations between moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA and (1) perceived susceptibility to cancer recurrence and health problems, (2) perceived severity of cancer recurrence and health problems, (3) perceived benefits of PA for reducing risk of cancer recurrence and health problems, (4) perceived barriers to PA, and (5) PA barrier self-efficacy among cancer survivors were examined. METHODS: A total of 123 adult cancer survivors (Mage = 50.1 ± 15.5 years; 82.9% female) completed an online self-report survey assessing sociodemographic and medical characteristics, moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA, and the HBM constructs. Data were analyzed descriptively and using hierarchical linear regression analysis. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, time since cancer diagnosis, and treatments received, the HBM constructs collectively explained 29% of the variance in moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA. Perceived benefits of PA (ß = .20, 95% CI [1.81, 11.67], p = .007) and PA barrier self-efficacy (ß = .42, 95% CI [0.26, 0.53], p < .001) were significantly associated with moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA. CONCLUSION: Raising awareness of the benefits of PA for reducing risk of cancer recurrence and health problems and strengthening self-efficacy to overcome PA barriers may help to promote cancer survivors' attainment of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA guidelines.

Investigating physical activity knowledge and beliefs as correlates of behaviour in the general population: a cross-sectional study.

This study examines knowledge of physical activity (PA) guidelines for cancer prevention and beliefs of the role of PA in preventing cancer as correlates of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) behaviour among adults. Measures assessing socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of PA guidelines, and PA beliefs and behaviour were completed online by 654 adults (Mage = 36.92 ± 14.61 years) with no history of cancer. Data were analyzed descriptively and using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analysis. Approximately half the sample was aware of PA guidelines for cancer prevention (49.24%) and believed that PA was extremely effective in reducing the risk of developing cancer (48.93%). Knowledge of PA guidelines for cancer prevention was associated with a greater likelihood of being active (unadjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.66, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.18-2.34; p <.01; adjusted OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.36-3.11; p <.001). Beliefs regarding the effectiveness of PA in preventing cancer was not associated with a greater likelihood of being active. There is a lack of awareness of current PA guidelines for cancer prevention. Experimental studies are needed to further explore if increasing adults' knowledge of PA guidelines for cancer prevention can enhance PA levels.

Study protocol of the Aerobic exercise and CogniTIVe functioning in women with breAsT cancEr (ACTIVATE) trial: a two-arm, two-centre randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Up to 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer report chemotherapy-related cognitive changes (CRCC) during treatment, including decreased memory, attention, and processing speed. Though CRCC negatively impacts everyday functioning and reduces overall quality of life in women diagnosed with breast cancer, effective interventions to prevent and/or manage CRCC are elusive. Consequently, women seldom receive advice on how to prevent or manage CRCC. Aerobic exercise is associated with improved cognitive functioning in healthy older adults and adults with cognitive impairments. Accordingly, it holds promise as an intervention to prevent and/or manage CRCC. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) supporting a beneficial effect of aerobic exercise on CRCC is limited. The primary aim of the ACTIVATE trial is to evaluate the impact of supervised aerobic exercise on CRCC in women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. METHODS: The ACTIVATE trial is a two-arm, two-centre RCT. Women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer and awaiting neo-adjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy are recruited from hospitals in Ottawa (Ontario) and Vancouver (British Columbia), Canada. Recruits are randomized to the intervention group (aerobic exercise during chemotherapy) or the wait-list control group (usual care during chemotherapy and aerobic exercise post-chemotherapy). The primary outcome is cognitive functioning as measured by a composite cognitive summary score (COGSUM) of several neuropsychological tests. Secondary outcomes are self-reported cognitive functioning, quality of life, and brain structure and functioning (measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/functional MRI and electroencephalography). Assessments take place pre-chemotherapy (pre-intervention), mid-way through chemotherapy (mid-intervention/mid-wait period), end of chemotherapy (post-intervention/post-wait period; primary endpoint), 16-weeks post-chemotherapy, and at 1-year post-baseline. DISCUSSION: Aerobic exercise is a promising intervention for preventing and/or managing CRCC and enhancing quality of life among women diagnosed with breast cancer. The ACTIVATE trial tests several novel hypotheses, including that aerobic exercise can prevent and/or mitigate CRCC and that this effect is mediated by the timing of intervention delivery (i.e., during versus post-chemotherapy). Findings may support prescribing exercise during (or post-) chemotherapy for breast cancer and elucidate the potential role of aerobic exercise as a management strategy for CRCC in women with early-stage breast cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov database ( NCT03277898 ) on September 11, 2017.

Posttraumatic growth and its correlates among survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer: A brief report.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe posttraumatic growth (PTG) levels among survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer (AYAs), and estimate relationships between PTG and medical (cancer type, age at diagnosis, time since treatment), behavioral (physical activity), and psychological (appearance evaluations, body satisfaction) variables.Methods: Eighty-eight AYAs (Mage=33 ± 4.4 years) completed a survey online that included the PTG-Inventory (PTG-I). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations.Findings: Total and subdimension PTG-I scores indicated moderate-to-high PTG levels, with the highest and lowest scores reported for appreciation of life and spiritual change, respectively. Appearance evaluations was moderately and positively correlated with the spiritual change subdimension (r = .31, p < .001). Relationships between PTG and other variables were of weak magnitude and not statistically significant (rs = 0-.21, ps > .05).Conclusions: More research exploring variables related to PTG among AYAs is needed to better understand antecedents and outcomes of PTG.

Depression and functional status in colorectal cancer patients awaiting surgery: Impact of a multimodal prehabilitation program.

OBJECTIVE: Depression and poor functional status (FS) frequently co-occur. Though both predict adverse surgical outcomes, research examining preoperative functional performance (FP; self-reported) and functional capacity (FC; performance-based) measures in depressed cancer patients is lacking. Prehabilitation, a preoperative intervention including exercise, nutrition, and stress-reduction, may improve FC; however, whether depressed patients benefit from this intervention remains unknown. The primary objectives were to (a) assess differences in FP and FC and (b) explore the impact of prehabilitation on FC in individuals with depressive symptoms versus those without. METHOD: A secondary analysis was conducted on 172 colorectal cancer patients enrolled in three studies comparing prehabilitation with a control group (rehabilitation). Measures were collected at 4 weeks pre- and 8 weeks postoperatively. FP, FC, and psychological symptoms were assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Six-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), respectively. Subjects were divided into three groups according to baseline psychological symptoms: no psychological-symptoms (HADS-N), anxiety-symptoms (HADS-A), or depressive-symptoms (HADS-D). Main objectives were tested using analyses of variance, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: At baseline, HADS-D reported lower FP, had shorter 6MWD, and a greater proportion walked ≤ 400 m. Prehabilitation was associated with significant improvements in 6MWD in HADS-D group but not in HADS-N or HADS-A groups. CONCLUSION: Poorer FS was observed in subjects with depressive symptoms, and these subjects benefited most from prehabilitation intervention. Future research could examine whether severity of depression and co-occurrence of anxiety differentially impact FS and whether prehabilitation can improve psychological symptoms and quality of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Retrograde and anterograde memory following selective damage to the dorsolateral entorhinal cortex.

Anatomical and electrophysiological evidence suggest the dorsolateral entorhinal cortex (DLEC) is involved in processing spatial information, but there is currently no consensus on whether its functions are necessary for normal spatial learning and memory. The present study examined the effects of excitotoxic lesions of the DLEC on retrograde and anterograde memory on two tests of allocentric spatial learning: a hidden fixed-platform watermaze task, and a novelty-preference-based dry-maze test. Deficits were observed on both tests when training occurred prior to but not following n-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) lesions of DLEC, suggesting retrograde memory impairment in the absence of anterograde impairments for the same information. The retrograde memory impairments were temporally-graded; rats that received DLEC lesions 1-3 days following training displayed deficits, while those that received lesions 7-10 days following training performed like a control group that received sham surgery. The deficits were not attenuated by co-infusion of tetrodotoxin, suggesting they are not due to disruption of neural processing in structures efferent to the DLEC, such as the hippocampus. The present findings provide evidence that the DLEC is involved in the consolidation of allocentric spatial information.