Healthy lifestyle challenges among older female cancer survivors.

Abstract

156 Background: Healthy lifestyles including consuming a healthy diet, being physically active, and maintaining a normal weight can improve prognosis and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among cancer survivors. The largest proportion of cancer survivors are older adults (≥65 years), yet their lifestyle behaviors are understudied. This study examined the lifestyle behaviors (diet quality, physical activity, maintaining healthy weight) of older female cancer survivors and associations with HRQoL. Methods: Women aged 65 years or older, with all cancer subtypes and stages, who had completed primary cancer treatment (i.e., chemotherapy, surgery, radiation) within the past five years, were eligible to participate. Older female cancer survivors (n = 171) completed one-time surveys to assess HRQoL (RAND-36), unintentional weight loss, body mass index (BMI), diet quality (Diet History Questionnaire II), and physical activity. Demographic information and medical record data were also collected. Diet History Questionnaire II results were converted to Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores. Descriptive analyses, correlations, and stepwise linear regressions were utilized. Results: The majority of the sample (median age = 74.50±8.43 years) were white (90%), married (54.7%), breast cancer survivors (67.7%), and completed at least a bachelor’s degree (54.7%). Physical and mental HRQoL of the sample were low; 41.94±10.50 and 48.47±7.18, respectively, out of 100. Physical activity was low; 75.3%, 54.2%, and 68.1% reported no strenuous, moderate, and mild physical activity, respectively. Mean BMI was 27.71±6.24 (overweight), with 64% of the participants being overweight or obese. Mean HEI-2015 scores were 66.54+10.0 out of 100 and below the cutoff score of 80, which represents a “good diet”. Participating in moderate physical activity was associated with higher physical HRQoL (β = 0.42, p = 0.004). Being older (β = 0.27, p = 0.025), white (β = 0.53, p < 0.001), and having higher HEI scores (β = 0.30, p = 0.011) was associated with higher mental HRQoL. Conclusions: Older female cancer survivors reported lifestyle challenges including poor diet quality, low levels of physical activity, and high rates of being overweight or obese, which were associated with HRQoL. Results indicate the need for tailored health interventions for older female cancer survivors regarding their lifestyle behaviors to improve prognosis and HRQoL.