Department of Physical Education and Recreation, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013 Aug 5;13:205. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-205.
Breast cancer survivors who participate in physical activity (PA) are reported to experience improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, the quantitative research exploring the relationship between the team-based activity of dragon boat racing and the HRQOL of breast cancer survivors is limited. Given the rising number of breast cancer survivors, and their growing attraction to dragon boating, further exploration of the influence of this activity on HRQOL is warranted.
This study is designed to: 1) quantitatively assess whether and how breast cancer survivors' participation in a season of dragon boat racing is related to HRQOL and 2) qualitatively explore the survivors' lived experience of dragon boating and how and why this experience is perceived to influence HRQOL. A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was used with the purpose of complementing quantitative findings with qualitative data. Quantitative data measuring HRQOL were collected at baseline and post-season (N=100); semi-structured qualitative interviews were used to elicit a personal account of the dragon boat experience (N=15).
Statistically significant improvements were shown for HRQOL, physical, functional, emotional and spiritual well-being, breast cancer-specific concerns and cancer-related fatigue. A trend towards significance was shown for social/family well-being. Qualitative data elaborated on the quantitative findings, greatly enhancing the understanding of how and why dragon boat racing influences HRQOL.
The use of a mixed methods design effectively captured the complex yet positive influence of dragon boating on survivor HRQOL. These findings contribute to a growing body of literature supporting the value of dragon boat racing as a viable PA intervention for enhancing survivor HRQOL.
有报道称，参加身体活动（PA）的乳腺癌幸存者的健康相关生活质量（HRQOL）得到改善。然而，定量研究探索龙舟赛的团队活动与乳腺癌幸存者的 HRQOL 之间的关系的研究有限。鉴于乳腺癌幸存者人数的增加，以及他们对龙舟赛的日益浓厚的兴趣，进一步探索这项活动对 HRQOL 的影响是有必要的。
本研究旨在：1）定量评估乳腺癌幸存者参加一个赛季的龙舟赛与 HRQOL 的关系，以及 2）定性探索幸存者的龙舟赛生活体验，以及这种体验如何以及为何被认为会影响 HRQOL。采用混合方法序列解释设计，目的是用定性数据补充定量发现。在基线和赛季后（N=100）收集测量 HRQOL 的定量数据；使用半结构化定性访谈来引出个人的龙舟体验（N=15）。
HRQOL、身体、功能、情感和精神健康、乳腺癌特有的问题和癌症相关疲劳都显示出统计学上显著的改善。社会/家庭健康也显示出改善的趋势。定性数据详细阐述了定量发现，极大地增强了对龙舟赛如何以及为何影响 HRQOL 的理解。
使用混合方法设计有效地捕捉到了龙舟赛对幸存者 HRQOL 的复杂但积极的影响。这些发现为越来越多的支持龙舟赛作为增强幸存者 HRQOL 的可行 PA 干预措施的价值的文献做出了贡献。
