Baylor Scott & White Health , Temple, TX , USA ; Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas , Dallas, TX , USA.
Baylor Scott & White Health , Temple, TX , USA ; Seton Medical Center , Austin, TX , USA.
Front Public Health. 2015 Apr 27;2:171. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00171. eCollection 2014.
Physical activity reduces fatigue and depression while improving quality of life in cancer survivors. Exercise is generally considered safe and is recommended to survivors of all ages. Despite the high prevalence of cancer in the elderly, few studies address physical activity interventions targeting this older population. Fit & Strong! is an evidence-based physical activity program shown to improve level of physical activity, exercise-self-efficacy, and mood in older adults with osteoarthritis. This study tests the feasibility and short-term impact of the Fit & Strong! exercise program adapted for older cancer survivors.
Participants were cancer survivors at least 50 years of age who were not on active treatment with intravenous chemotherapy or radiation. They participated in the 8-week Fit & Strong! program, which included three 90-min sessions per week; 60 min of group physical activity and 30 min of education. Education on osteoarthritis was removed from the Fit & Strong! program and replaced with relevant topics on cancer survivorship issues. Feasibility was measured by the ability to recruit and retain older cancer survivors. Pre and post-intervention surveys evaluated the effect of the intervention on physical activity and quality of life.
The study enrolled 72 cancer survivors to participate in an 8-week exercise program. The mean age of participants was 70. Over two-thirds (68%) of participants completed the program and with a mean attendance rate of 75% (18 of 24 sessions). No safety issues occurred. Improvements from baseline to post-intervention were observed for self-reported minutes of physical activity per week, self-efficacy for aerobic exercise, and symptoms related to depression and anxiety.
This study was successful in recruiting and retaining a population of older cancer survivors to participate in a group exercise program. Significant improvement in level of physical activity and mood suggests this evidence-based physical activity intervention can be adapted to promote health benefits in cancer survivors. Additional studies are necessary to confirm efficacy and assess long-term benefits.
体育活动可减轻疲劳和抑郁，同时提高癌症幸存者的生活质量。运动通常被认为是安全的，建议所有年龄段的幸存者都进行运动。尽管老年人中癌症的发病率很高，但很少有研究针对这一年龄段的人群开展体育活动干预。Fit & Strong！是一个基于证据的体育活动计划，已被证明可以提高老年人的身体活动水平、锻炼自我效能感和情绪。本研究测试了针对老年癌症幸存者的 Fit & Strong！运动项目的可行性及其短期影响。
参与者为年龄至少 50 岁且未接受静脉化疗或放疗的癌症幸存者。他们参加了为期 8 周的 Fit & Strong！计划，每周包括 3 次 90 分钟的课程；60 分钟的团体体育活动和 30 分钟的教育。从 Fit & Strong！计划中删除了骨关节炎教育内容，并用与癌症生存问题相关的内容取而代之。通过招募和保留老年癌症幸存者的能力来衡量可行性。在干预前后的调查中评估了干预对身体活动和生活质量的影响。
该研究共招募了 72 名癌症幸存者参加为期 8 周的锻炼计划。参与者的平均年龄为 70 岁。超过三分之二（68%）的参与者完成了该计划，出勤率平均为 75%（24 次课程中的 18 次）。没有发生安全问题。与基线相比，干预后自我报告的每周体育活动时间、有氧运动自我效能感以及与抑郁和焦虑相关的症状均有所改善。
本研究成功地招募和保留了一群老年癌症幸存者参加团体锻炼计划。身体活动水平和情绪的显著改善表明，这种基于证据的体育活动干预措施可以适应癌症幸存者的健康促进需求。需要进一步的研究来确认其疗效并评估长期效益。
