Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey

Physical activity (PA) has a wide range of beneficial effects on the overall health and quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer survivors (BCS).

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between PA and health-related QOL in Malaysian BCS.

This is a cross-sectional survey involving 334 BCS. In addition to socio-demographic information, participants’ PA was assessed using the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Health-related QOL was assessed using the functional assessment for cancer treatment-breast (FACT-B) version 4 questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation was used to explore the relationship between PA and QOL of the participants.

The mean age, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were 51.9 ± 8.3 years, 60.1 ± 11.4 kg, and 25.1 ± 4.6 kg/m2, respectively. The majority of the participants were Malays (71.0%), married (83.8%), and had secondary education (52.7%). The mean total PA was 660.2 ± 797.2 whereas the mean overall QOL was 79.6 ± 17.7. Moderate-intensity PA was significantly correlated with physical well-being (r = 0.39, P = 0.009) and overall QOL (r = 0.49, P = 0.002). It was also significantly correlated with functional well-being (r = 0.57, P = 0.054) and breast cancer concern (r = 0.48, P = 0.019). Meanwhile, the total PA was correlated positively and significantly with functional well-being (r = 0.78, P = 0.041).

This study found a significant relationship between the moderate-intensity PA and the overall QOL among the participants. The result also showed a significant relationship between moderate-intensity PA and breast cancer concern. The total PA showed a significant relationship with functional well-being. The breast cancer survivors needed to be encouraged to remain physically active.