Differences between leisure-time physical activity, health-related quality of life and life satisfaction: Al Ritmo de las Comunidades, a natural experiment from Colombia.

Physical inactivity is one of the major public health problems worldwide. Community-based interventions have been pointed out as a promising strategy to increase physical activity (PA) levels and impact population health. Recreovía is a community program with a potential to promote PA. There is growing evidence for two benefits derived from the practice of PA: an increased perception of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and life satisfaction (LS). The purpose of this study was to assess differences between leisure-time PA and perceptions of both HRQoL and LS, as well as to assess differences between perceptions of both HRQoL and LS for Recreovía and non-Recreovía participants. Data were obtained using the baseline cross-sectional survey of 1533 participants (501 belonged to the intervention group) as part of the natural experiment Al Ritmo de las Comunidades. HRQoL was measured with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30-item questionnaire, LS was measured with Questions on Life Satisfaction Scale, and self-reported minutes of leisure-time PA were measured with the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The mean age of participants was 41.7 years (standard deviation (SD) = 16.3). The participants had a good overall HRQoL and LS. The mean minutes of leisure-time PA were 158.1 min (SD = 230.2) a week. Results showed that those participants who reported higher leisure-time PA levels also reported a significantly higher LS (M = 41.9, SD = 35.0) relative to participants with lower levels (M = 37.6, SD = 34.2, t(1532) = -2.36, p < 0.01). There were no statistical differences in the perception of HRQoL and leisure-time PA (t(1532) = -1.03, p = 0.30), although active people had higher scores. Both HRQoL and LS scores were higher in individuals who were participating in Recreovía (p < 0.001). Higher LS scores were found in the group with higher leisure-time PA, while HRQoL showed no differences. Better psychological well-being indices were found in the Recreovía group.

Anxiety, depression, and quality of life in German ambulatory breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the predictors of health-related quality of life in ambulatory breast cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 107 breast cancer outpatients were tested with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the quality of life instrument EORTC QLQ-C30. Furthermore, the degree of social support and shared decision making (SDM) were assessed. RESULTS: In nearly all domains of EORTC QLQ-C30 the patients reported worse mean scores than the general population in a clinically significant range, especially in the symptom scales. Therapy-related factors and the degree of SDM contributed only marginally to quality of life. Social support, however, proved to be predictive of better mental health and better quality of life in many domains. CONCLUSION: Irrespective of the therapy, the social network of the patients should be activated to help the patients to cope with the disease. However, the findings do not support the idea that enhanced SDM would have beneficial effects on mental health.

Physical activity, nutrition and behavior change in Latin America: a systematic review.

Physical activity (PA) and nutrition are key health behaviors underlying the design and implementation of prevention strategies for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Latin America. Nevertheless, research still reports low prevalence of PA and fruit and vegetable consumption throughout the region. This paper aims at reviewing the ways in which models of behavior change theory have been applied in study development and implementation regarding nutrition and PA in Latin America. In August 2011 we conducted a systematic literature review of the behavior change studies that targeted such NCDs risk factors published until then. Out of 4279 surveyed abstracts, only 29 corresponded to articles that met our inclusion criteria. Twenty-six articles reported the application of behavior change theory, with the trans-theoretical model (n = 12) being the most frequently used. Other theories and models included the socio-ecological model (n = 4), cognitive theory (n = 3), social cognitive theory (n = 2) and theories related to health education and counseling (n = 5). Based on this review, we recommend that the application of behavior change theory be explicitly reported in Latin American peer-reviewed articles, and that outcome evaluations include behavior change constructs so as to better assess their contribution to the effectiveness of nutrition and PA interventions in the region. Furthermore, we state the need for a better understanding of the behavior change mechanisms that may be specific to the Latin American context.