scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on an established physical activity and behaviour change support programme for cancer survivors: An exploratory survey of the Macmillan Move More service for Northern Ireland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Brown ◽  
Dominic O’Connor ◽  
Claire Murphy ◽  
Maura McClean ◽  
Alexandra McMeekin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose The recent coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has affected the delivery of routine cancer care and supportive services. The Macmillan Move More Northern Ireland (MMNI) programme provides access to physical activity and behavioural change support before, during and after cancer treatment. This evaluation details the impact of the pandemic on the MMNI participants and identifies methods to adapt service delivery. Methods A multiple-choice and short answer online survey was sent to 730 MMNI participants, to investigate the impact of the initial, national COVID-19 lockdown. Specifically, the survey examined physical activity patterns, the physical/emotional/social impact of restrictions and attitudes towards digitally supported exercise. Free text responses were analysed thematically with findings verified within the research team. Results 377 participants completed the survey (52% response rate). 50% of respondents had breast cancer, with 36 other diagnoses registered (82% were female). Participants reported physical activity levels decreased during restrictions, citing isolation; declining health/fitness; lack of access and motivation. The dataset trended towards women and those diagnosed with breast cancer. 71% reported the pandemic impacted their physical (n=119) and/or psychosocial (n=231) wellbeing. Many respondents were availing of digitally supported exercise, whilst half of males did not engage (46%). Finally, 80% of respondents were interested in using a MMNI smart application. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has affected participant physical activity levels. Supervised classes were the most popular (pre-pandemic), with enforced leisure centre closures prompting this reduction. The pandemic has negatively affected the psychosocial wellbeing (mental health) of participants, compounded by the restrictions imposed on the traditional delivery of MMNI. This impact is felt equally across cancer types. Participants with breast cancer are the most engaged in using digital technology to access exercise. Although underrepresented, men require greater targeting to ensure equality in access to online services.

scholarly journals Determinants of Health and Physical Activity Levels Among Breast Cancer Survivors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Rachel Bezerra Gurgel ◽  
Pedro Mingroni-Netto ◽  
Jose Carlos Farah ◽  
Christina May Moran de Brito ◽  
Anna S. Levin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

Background: Increased exercise and physical activity levels are recommended throughout cancer therapy and survivorship. Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent social distancing are likely to cause a decline in physical activity.Objective: to evaluate the level of unsupervised physical activity of breast cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the factors associated with difficulties in engaging and maintaining recommended physical activity levels.Methods: This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study with a sample of 37 breast cancer survivors. They participated in a canoeing training program (project Remama) at the University of São Paulo before the COVID-19 pandemic. Socioeconomic aspects, engagement in physical activity, motivation, and potential exposure to COVID-19 were investigated through an online survey, administered in September of 2020.Results: During the pandemic, participants increased their body weight (5 ± 3.4 kg); 90% reported decreasing physical activity levels associated with increased sedentary time. Twenty-one (58%) participants exhibited some COVID-19-related symptoms, most used public transportation (59%), or returned to work during the period of a high incidence of COVID-19. The only factor associated with perceived difficulty in engaging in physical activities was having had more than three cancer treatments (RR: 2.14; 95% CI: 1.07–4.27).Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a group of previously active breast cancer survivors to decrease their physical activity, gain weight, and have sedentary behavior. Specific tailored-care interventions are needed to prevent these occurrences, as overweight and physical inactivity may impose an additional risk for breast cancer recurrence and a severe course of COVID-19 in cancer patients.

scholarly journals P069 Results of an online survey exploring the effects of shielding during the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA)

Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meena Naja ◽  
Raj Amarnani ◽  
Madhura Castelino
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Joint Stiffness ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Reduced Physical Activity ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Exercise Classes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background/Aims  The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges for patients with chronic rheumatological diseases. SpA - which includes ankylosing spondylitis (AS), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and enteropathic arthritis - often affects young people who are otherwise fit and able. Many SpA patients take immunosuppressive medications and therefore were advised to shield. In view of this, we conducted a survey to better understand how shielding has affected the physical activity and symptoms of SpA patients during the pandemic. Methods  An online anonymised survey was created and advertised via social media from 4th June to 4th July 2020. Patients with SpA were invited to complete the survey which included 18 questions exploring the impact of the pandemic on their symptoms, physical activity levels and medication use. Results  There were 136 survey respondents, of whom 74.3% were female, with an age range from under 25 to over 75 years. The underlying diagnoses were PsA (60.5%), AS (28.4%), axSpA (10.5%) and enteropathic arthritis (0.8%). The majority (66.7%) of respondents were shielding; 44.1% were on disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) and 56.6% were on biologics (bDMARDs). Most (94.1%) had continued their DMARDs throughout the shielding period. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use was reported to be increased in 18.6% of respondents, and unchanged in 69.0%. Compared to before the pandemic, 54.8% reported worsening joint stiffness and 45.6% reported worsening joint pain. Most respondents (67.6%) reported reduced levels of physical activity, the commonest reasons being: shielding (54.6%); increased fatigue (45.8%); concerns around social distancing (45.4%); poor sleep quality (38.6%); working from home (28.6%) and low mood (28.6%). Only 14.7% had attended a virtual exercise class. Conclusion  Approximately 2 in 3 patients with SpA reported they were shielding during the first wave of the pandemic. Similar numbers of patients reported reduced physical activity levels and increased joint stiffness over this time. It is important to acknowledge that given the nature of the anonymised survey, we cannot be certain if the same patients who were shielding were the same as those who had reduced levels of physical activity or worsening symptoms. We have, however, shown that over half of the surveyed patients attributed their reduced physical activity levels to shielding. Taking into account that social restrictions (either self-imposed or government advised) are likely to be ongoing, we believe that a focus should be placed on supporting patients to maintain their activity levels, through initiatives such as specialist virtual exercise classes. Disclosure  M. Naja: None. R. Amarnani: None. M. Castelino: None.

scholarly journals Effect of physical activity levels on oncological breast surgery recovery: a prospective cohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifat Klein ◽  
Leonid Kalichman ◽  
Noy Chen ◽  
Sergio Susmallian
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Breast Cancer Surgery ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Axillary Web Syndrome ◽  
Function Range ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAfter breast cancer (BC) surgery, women may experience a physical decline. The effect of physical activity (PA) on the course of recovery after BC surgery has not yet been thoroughly examined. To analyze the impact of physical activity performed by women undergoing breast cancer surgery on measures of function, range of motion, and self-efficacy. A prospective study was carried out in 157 patients who underwent surgery for BC between October 2018 and April 2019, divided into four groups according to the intensity of PA with 6 months follow-up. 50 sedentary patients and 107 active patients were enrolled; the mean age was 52.6. Women who performed physical activity, moderate to vigorous, demonstrated lower function disabilities (QuickDASH 2.22) compared with inactivity or light physical activity (QuickDASH 7.0, p < 0.001), with better shoulder flexion (159.0° vs. 150.7°, p = 0.007) and abduction (159.5° vs. 152.2°, p = 0.008). Higher PA levels, displayed in higher self-efficacy reports (9.5 vs. 8.8, p = 0.002), and return to prior job status (0.005). The PA level does not influence pain at one, three and 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.278, p = 0.304 and p = 0.304 respectively). High PA levels increase the risk of axillary web syndrome (p = 0.041), although, it reduces the incidence of chronic pain (p = 0.007). Women who practice physical activity recover better from BC surgery than sedentary women. The higher the intensity and frequency of training, the better the results. Vigorous activity cause axillary web syndrome, despite, it has a beneficial effect on lowering the rate of chronic pain.

scholarly journals Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Its Impact on Sleep Quality in Persons Suffering From Restless Legs Syndrome

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Reimers ◽  
Verena Heidenreich ◽  
Hans-Joachim Bittermann ◽  
Guido Knapp ◽  
Carl-Detlev Reimers
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Restless Legs Syndrome ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Moderate Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Restless Legs ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Main symptoms of the restless legs syndrome (RLS) are sleep onset insomnia and difficulty to maintain sleep. Previous studies showed that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing RLS. However, the relationships of physical activity on sleep quality parameters in subjects suffering from RLS have not been investigated by applying accelerometry. Thus, the present study investigates the impact of physical activity during the day (7-12 h, 12-18 h, 18-23 h) on sleep quality in subject suffering from idiopathic RLS as well as their intensity and extent of physical activity by applying a real-time approach.Methods: In a sample of 47 participants suffering from idiopathic RLS, physical activity and sleep quality were captured over one week by using accelerometers. For data analysis physical activity levels and step counts during three periods of a day (morning, afternoon, evening) were correlated with sleep quality parameters of the following night.Results: In this observational study, significant correlations of physical activity with the sleep parameters were rarely confirmed (exception: negative correlation of steps in the morning with periodic leg movements in sleep and negative correlation of physical activity in the evening and total sleep period). However, the physical activity levels of the participants were unexpectedly high compared to population-level data and variance in physical activity was low. The average activity was 13,817 (SD=4,086) steps and 347 (SD=117) minutes of moderate physical activity per day in females and 10,636 (SD=3,748) steps and 269 (SD=69) minutes of moderate physical activity in males, respectively. However, the participants conducted no vigorous physical activity.Conclusions: To investigate the effects of daily physical activity and RLS symptoms interventional studies with different intensities of physical activities at different points of time during the day are needed.

scholarly journals Is the impact of adiposity on taste perceptions moderated by chronic physical activity? An overview of the data from NHANES 2013-2014.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre-Charles Gauthier ◽  
Marie-Eve Mathieu
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Body Fat Percentage ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Fat Percentage ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Tip Test ◽  
The Impact

Introduction Taste is a key sensory modulator of eating behaviour and thus energy intake. The effects of acute exercise has recently been confirmed especially regarding sweet and salty tastes. Physical activity is a safe and effective countermeasure to certain types of chemosensory losses, especially in older populations. Knowing that taste can be impaired with increased adiposity, it is unknown if the adoption of an active lifestyle on a regular basis can mitigate such impairments. Methods Data were extracted from NHANES 2013-2014 database. Perception of salt and bitter tastes for Tongue Tip Test and Whole Mouth Test, physical activity levels over an 8-9-day period and adiposity were analyzed. Moderation analyses were used to study the impact of adiposity on taste perceptions, with physical activity level as the moderator. Results The 197 participants (130 males) included in this project had a mean+/-standard deviation age of 49.1+/-5.2 years, a mean body fat percentage of 31.7+/-7.6% and mean daily physical activity levels of 11 084+/-3531 Monitor-Independent Movement Summary unit (MIMS). The positive association between adiposity and both bitter Tongue Tip Test and overall result (salt+bitter) of Tongue Tip Test were moderated by the adoption of an active lifestyle, with better taste scores observed in individuals achieving higher physical activity levels. When moderation analysis were stratified by gender, the effect of physical activity was no longer significant. Perspectives This study is the first to evaluate the influence of an active lifestyle on the preservation of some taste perceptions across a wide range of adiposity levels. While differences in taste can be observed regarding body fat percentage, physical activity moderates that relation only when men and women are analysed together.

scholarly journals Physical activity levels of women with breast cancer during and after treatment, a comparison with the Dutch female population

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 673-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Gal ◽  
E. M. Monninkhof ◽  
P. H. M. Peeters ◽  
C. H. van Gils ◽  
D. H. J. G. van den Bongard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Female Population ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

Physical activity levels and preferences of patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy in Chile

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 2941-2947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karol Ramírez-Parada ◽  
Kerry S. Courneya ◽  
Sabrina Muñiz ◽  
César Sánchez ◽  
Rodrigo Fernández-Verdejo
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Physical Activity Levels

scholarly journals Dietary education provision within a cardiac rehabilitation programme in the UK: a pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Chelsea E Moore ◽  
Costas Tsakirides ◽  
Zoe Rutherford ◽  
Michelle G Swainson ◽  
Karen M Birch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cardiac Rehabilitation ◽  
Rehabilitation Programme ◽  
Habitual Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Nutrient Intakes ◽  
Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Dietary Education ◽  
The Impact

Background/aims The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two 30-minute dietary education sessions, within cardiac rehabilitation, as a means to optimise nutrient and energy intakes. A secondary aim was to evaluate patients' habitual physical activity levels. Methods Thirty patients (males: n=24, 61.8±11.2 years; females: n=6, 66.7±8.5 years) attended a 6-week early outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme in the UK and received two 30-minute dietary education sessions emphasising Mediterranean diet principles. Energy intakes and nutrient intakes were measured through completion of 3-day food diaries in weeks one and six (before and after the dietary education sessions) to assess the impact of these sessions on nutrient intakes. At the same time-points, a sub-group (n=13) of patients had their physical activity levels assessed via accelerometery to assess the impact of the cardiac rehabilitation programme on physical activity. Results Estimated energy requirements at week one (1988±366 kcal d−1) were not matched by actual energy intakes (1785±561 kcal d−1) (P=0.047, d=−0.36). Energy intakes reduced to 1655±470 kcal d−1 at week six (P=0.66, d=−0.33) whereas estimated energy requirements increased as a function of increased activity (cardiac rehabilitation sessions). Nutrient intakes remained suboptimal, while no significant increases were observed in healthy fats and fibre, which are core elements of a Mediterranean diet. Statistically significant increases were not observed in physical activity; however, patients decreased sedentary time by 11±12% in week six compared with week one (P=0.009; d=−0.54). Conclusions The present study findings suggest that two 30-minute dietary education sessions did not positively influence energy intakes and nutrient intakes, while habitual physical activity levels were not significantly increased as a result of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. Future research should explore means of optimising nutrition and habitual physical activity within UK cardiac rehabilitation.

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