Dimensions of physical activity and their relationship to physical and emotional symptoms in breast cancer survivors

Background Many breast cancer survivors experience long term sequelae, including fatigue, decreased physical functioning, pain, and psychological distress. Physical activity can ameliorate these problems, but there is little research on how activity should be performed to be most beneficial. This study explores how dimensions of physical activity (total energy expenditure, frequency, and duration) are associated with symptoms among breast cancer survivors. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data on physical activity behavior and symptoms in a cross-sectional study ( n = 148) of breast cancer survivors who were off treatment and had been diagnosed within the past 5 years. Results Multivariate analyses showed that total energy expenditure was associated with better general health ( p = 0.006) and fewer depressive symptoms ( p = 0.014), while frequency of activity was linearly related to physical functioning ( p = 0.047), pain (0.057), general health ( p