Physical activity and quality of life in African American cancer survivors: The Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors study

Background The benefit of regular exercise in improving cancer outcomes is well established. The American Cancer Society (ACS) released a recommendation that cancer survivors should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA) per week; however, few report meeting this recommendation. This study examined the patterns and correlates of meeting ACS PA recommendations in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort of African American cancer survivors. Methods Detroit ROCS participants completed baseline and yearly follow-up surveys to update their health and health behaviors, including PA. This study examined participation in PA by select characteristics and reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System instruments. Results Among the first 1500 ROCS participants, 60% reported participating in regular PA, with 24% reporting >= 150 min/wk. Although there were no differences by sex, prostate cancer survivors were the most likely to report participating in regular PA, whereas lung cancer survivors were the least likely (P = .022). Survivors who reported participating in regular PA reported higher HRQOL (P < .001) and lower depression (P = .040). Conclusions Just 24% of African American cancer survivors reported meeting the ACS guidelines for PA at the baseline, but it was encouraging to see increases in activity over time. Because of the established benefits of regular exercise observed in this study and others, identifying and reducing barriers to regular PA among African American cancer survivors are critical for improving outcomes and minimizing disparities.