Predicting recreational difficulties and decreased leisure activities in women 6–12 months post breast cancer surgery

Abstract

Breast cancer survivors should engage in recreational and leisure activities that are compatible with reduced range of motion and pain, and avoid those that exacerbate their arm morbidity.

Loss, adaptation and new directions: The impact of arm morbidity on leisure activities following breast cancer

“…Psychosocial sequellae may manifest as a result of reduced ability to engage in leisure activities, (Edelman & Mandle, 2006;Pedersen, Sawatzky, & Hack, 2010) alongside disruptions to other meaningful roles in work and family life Radina & Fu, 2011). Many breast cancer survivors either cease or decrease participation in leisurely activities because of the discomforts of arm morbidity (Karki, Simonen, Mälkiä, & Selfe, 2005;Miedema et al, 2008Miedema et al, , 2011. However, maintaining participation in leisurely activities may improve quality of life, as well as physical and mental health, among cancer survivors (Burnham & Wilcox 2002;Kendall, MahueGiangreco, Carpenter, Ganz, & Bernstein, 2005;McNeely et al, 2006).…”

Do breast cancer survivors' post-surgery difficulties with recreational activities persist over time?

“…In a previous publication (current authors), we found that at 6-12 months after surgery, 49% of participants had difficulties engaging in recreational activities requiring free movement of the affected arm [16]. We examined 547 breast cancer survivors' difficulties with participation in recreational activities as defined by the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questions 17 (difficulty with participation in activities requiring little effort), 18 (difficulty with activities requiring force or impact), and 19 (difficulty with activities requiring free movement of the arm).…”

“…We examined 547 breast cancer survivors' difficulties with participation in recreational activities as defined by the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questions 17 (difficulty with participation in activities requiring little effort), 18 (difficulty with activities requiring force or impact), and 19 (difficulty with activities requiring free movement of the arm). Through regression analysis we determined that arm morbidity factors [pain, ROM, and lymphedema] significantly predicted difficulties with participation in recreational activities [16].…”

Barriers Identification as Intervention to Engage Breast Cancer Survivors in Physical Activity

“…However, in a randomized controlled trial of home-based exercise adherence in recently treated breast cancer survivors, Pinto, Rabin and Dunsiger (2009) reported no significant relation between decisional balance and home-based exercise program. Other studies confirmed the presence of an additional set of PA determinants specifically related to the women's health status (Courneya, Jones, Mackey, & Fairy., 2006;Miedema et al, 2008;Milne, Guilfoyle, Gordon, Wallman, & Courneya, 2007;Rogers, McAuley, Courneya, & Verhulst, 2008). A recent review on cancer population reported the necessity to identify predictors of greater importance of PA behavior than PA stage of change or decisional balance (Loprinzi, Cardinal, Winters-Stone, Smit, & Loprinzi, 2012).…”