In the breast cancer population to date, theoretical approaches and intervention strategies used to promote physical activity (PA) have relied upon intrapersonal (e.g., attitudes) and interpersonal (e.g., subjective norms) variables to understand PA behaviors. Unfortunately, these studies were limited by not looking at variables beyond the individual and their social support networks. Using a social ecological framework, this study examined correlates of PA among breast cancer survivors (BCS') from a multilevel perspective that assessed correlates at the intrapersonal (task and barrier self-efficacy---SE), interspersonal (social support), institutional (health care climate) and community (accessibility to home exercise equipment and neighborhood facilities) levels of influence. Fifty BCS' were recruited and assessed over a period of one month. Assessments included self-report questionnaires to assess the social ecological correlates for PA, a resting energy expenditure test to obtain basal metabolic rate, a DEXA san to obtain percentage of total body fat and accelcrometry to objectively assess total and average daily energy expenditure (EE). Quantitative findings revealed that barrier self-efficacy was a significant correlate of total EE (r = .290, p = .043) and daily EE (r = .315, p = .029) among BCS'. Specifically, do not feel like it, was a significant correlate for total energy expenditure (r = .316, p = .027), and no time (r = .345, p = .018), feeling under the weather (r = .364, p = .011) and do not feel like it (r = .315, p = .029) were significant correlates of average energy expenditure per day. A non-significant relationship between PA and the other levels of the social ecological model was found. Based on these preliminary findings, further investigation into the use of different variables at the social ecological levels of influence is warranted. The findings at the intrapersonal level have practical implications in that a barrier self-efficacy scale specific to breast cancer should be developed to include the specific side effects that breast cancer treatments cause. Such a scale can assist in identifying the targets for PA program development by highlighting the issues that are of greater importance to breast cancer patients. In terms of a PA intervention, SE as it relates to time constraints, not feeling well and a lack of will power should be addressed. For example, behavioral counseling that targets the specific issues of the BCS could be incorporated into the PA intervention, whereby the counselor assists the BCS with the identification of coping strategies to overcome various barriers specific to PA.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/27271 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | McDonnell, Lisa A |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 130 p. |
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