Physical, leisure, and daily living activities in patients before, during, and after radiotherapy for cancer : Which patients need support in activities?

• Background: Avoiding inactivity and staying active during cancer therapy have great health effects.Objective: The aims of this study were to describe level of daily, leisure, and physical activities before, during, and after radiotherapy and to investigate whether patients who had not restored activity level after radiotherapy differed from patients who had restored activity level regarding different characteristics.Methods: In this descriptive longitudinal study, 196 patients undergoing pelvic-abdominal radiotherapy reported their activity level at baseline, weekly during radiotherapy, and at 1 month after radiotherapy.Results: Patients decreased activity level during radiotherapy (P < .001 for all activities): physical activity (34% of patients decreased level), walking (26%), leisure activities (44%), social activities (15%), housework (34%), shopping (28%), and activities in general (28%). Almost half (47%) had not restored activity level after radiotherapy. Patients with colorectal cancer, older than 65 years, who had less education than university, and high capacity in overall daily activities at baseline were more likely than other patients not to restore activity level after radiotherapy. The patients not restoring their activity level after radiotherapy were more likely than others to experience anxious mood (P = .016), depressed mood (P = .003), and poor quality of life (P = .003) after radiotherapy.Conclusion: Patients’ activity level decreased during radiotherapy, and almost half of patients did not restore activity level after radiotherapy.Implications for Practice: Given that restored activity level after radiotherapy was less common in certain subgroups and that patients who restored activity level experienced better quality of life and less frequent anxious and depressed mood, cancer nursing professionals should consider supporting these subgroups of patients in performing activities. Guidelines recommend avoiding inactivity and staying active during and after cancer therapy, because of the great health effects of activity.1,2 However, little is known about the characteristics of patients who decrease their activity level during radiotherapy for cancer and do not restore activity level after radiotherapy; this is a subgroup of patients who may need more support from cancer nursing professionals.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Cancer care; Daily activities; Leisure activities; Lifestyle factors; Nursing; Physical activity; Physiotherapy; Radiotherapy

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)