Dataset Information

Breast cancer survivors with pain: an examination of the relationships between body mass index, physical activity, and symptom burden.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Overweight and obesity are common for breast cancer survivors and associated with high symptom burden (i.e., pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms). Physical activity may protect breast cancer survivors with higher body mass indexes (BMI) from increased symptoms. However, the role of physical activity in buffering the relationship between higher BMI and greater symptoms is unclear.

Methods

Baseline data from a randomized trial investigating Pain Coping Skills Training among breast cancer survivors (N = 327) with pain were used to examine the relationship between self-reported BMI (kg/m²) and physical activity level (Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity; suboptimal vs. optimal) with pain (Brief Pain Inventory; severity and interference), fatigue (PROMIS-Fatigue short form), and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale). Analyses were conducted in SPSS. Hayes PROCESS macro (Model 1) assessed whether physical activity moderated the relationship between BMI and symptoms.

Results

Lower BMI (B = .06, p < .01) and optimal physical activity (B = - .69, p < .01) were independently associated with lower pain interference. Lower BMI was also associated with lower pain severity (B = .04, p < .001). Neither BMI nor physical activity was associated with fatigue or depressive symptoms. Physical activity did not moderate the relationship between BMI and symptoms.

Conclusions

Among breast cancer survivors experiencing pain, higher BMI and being less physically active were related to greater pain (i.e., severity and/or interference). Physical activity did not buffer the relationships between BMI and pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, suggesting that physical activity alone may not be sufficient to influence the strength of the relationships between BMI and symptoms.

SUBMITTER: Dorfman CS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10721211 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Breast cancer survivors with pain: an examination of the relationships between body mass index, physical activity, and symptom burden.

Dorfman Caroline S CS Fisher Hannah M HM Thomas Samantha S Kelleher Sarah A SA Winger Joseph G JG Mitchell Nia S NS Miller Shannon N SN Somers Tamara J TJ

Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 20231002 10

<h4>Purpose</h4>Overweight and obesity are common for breast cancer survivors and associated with high symptom burden (i.e., pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms). Physical activity may protect breast cancer survivors with higher body mass indexes (BMI) from increased symptoms. However, the role of physical activity in buffering the relationship between higher BMI and greater symptoms is unclear.<h4>Methods</h4>Baseline data from a randomized trial investigating Pain Coping Skills Training among b ...[more]

PMID: 37782420

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundBreast cancer survivors rank fatigue (e.g., decreased vitality) as their number one concern affecting quality of life. Excess adiposity is associated with decreased vitality in breast cancer survivors, yet weight loss intervention trials report inconsistent effects on this parameter.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of the Exercise and Nutrition to Enhance Recovery and Good Health for You trial, in which 692 overweight or obese breast cancer survivors ≤5 years from diagnosis, initiated weight loss interventions, and completed assessments semi-annually for 2 years. Assessments included the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire and the SF-36 MOS vitality subscale as an inverse measure of fatigue. Multilevel structural equation models estimated the direct effects of physical activity on vitality and indirect effects through body mass index (BMI) changes.ResultsWithin-person findings show that at assessments with greater physical activity, BMI was significantly lower (B = -0.07, p < 0.001) and vitality was higher (B = 0.22, p < 0.001). However, there was no direct relationship between lower BMI and higher vitality (B = -0.11, p = 0.262) after controlling for the relationship of physical activity with BMI and physical activity with vitality. The between-person indirect effect of physical activity change through BMI change to vitality was significant (B = 0.03, p < 0.001). Participants whose physical activity was above the mean (B = 0.37, p < 0.001) and whose BMI was below the mean (B = -1.05, p < 0.001) were more likely to report greater vitality.ConclusionImprovements in vitality are primarily associated with increases in physical activity rather than BMI changes in this trial. Vitality was lower among survivors with higher BMI, although within-individual changes in BMI had no effect on vitality. Physical activity and weight loss share mechanistic links to vitality with physical activity potentially increasing (e.g., in an additive or synergistic manner) the effect of BMI reduction on vitality.

Dataset Information

Breast cancer survivors with pain: an examination of the relationships between body mass index, physical activity, and symptom burden.

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Breast cancer survivors with pain: an examination of the relationships between body mass index, physical activity, and symptom burden.

Similar Datasets

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