Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Physical Activity in Cancer and Chronic Disease

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 6862

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Arkaitz Castañeda-Babarro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Physical Activity and Sports, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, Spain
Interests: physical activity and health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic diseases, understood as a diverse group of illnesses that are broadly defined as conditions that last a year or more and require ongoing medical care and/or restrict daily life or certain activities, include, among others, various conditions such as cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, but may also include chronic infections such as HIV and chronic inflammation manifested in inflammatory bowel disease (i.e., Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).

Today, chronic diseases are a major public health problem worldwide that is rapidly increasing with a growing and aging population. Due to the increase in the number of cases of such diseases, especially cancer, it is a subject of great scientific interest, not only for the sake of prevention, but also for the improvement of the quality of life of the patients suffering from it.

High levels of sedentary behavior are associated with a variety of adverse physical health outcomes among adults, including an increased incidence of diseases such as cancer and chronic disease.

Although researchers and health professionals have made great strides in understanding the benefits that physical activity can provide for these patients, there remains a great deal of ignorance and many unanswered questions about the benefits of physical activity; there is a great need to develop strategies to improve prevention, treatment and physical recovery through physical activity.

This Special Issue is open for the submission of research within the thematic area of the effects of physical activity on cancer and chronic disease. The keywords listed below provide an overview of some of the possible areas of interest.

Dr. Arkaitz Castañeda-Babarro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cancer
physical activity
exercise
resistance training
chronic disease

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

17 pages, 694 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physical Activity and Exercise Experience in Spanish and US Men with Fibromyalgia: A Qualitative Cross-Cultural Study

by Pilar Montesó-Curto, Loren Toussaint, Angela Kueny, Ilga Ruschak, Shannon Lunn, Lluís Rosselló, Carme Campoy, Stephanie Clark, Connie Luedtke, Alessandra Queiroga Gonçalves, Carina Aguilar Martín, Ann Vincent and Arya B. Mohabbat

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(18), 6731; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20186731 - 7 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1650

Abstract

Physical exercise is an indispensable element in the multidisciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The present study examined if men diagnosed with FMS engaged in any type of physical activity or exercise, the perceived effects from exercise, and who specifically recommended exercise. A qualitative cross-cultural study was performed in fibromyalgia clinical units in Spain and the United States. A total of 17 participants, 10 men from Spain and 7 men from the US, were included. In Spain, a focus group was completed in two parts, one month apart in 2018. In the US, five individual interviews and one joint interview with two men were completed in 2018. Three central themes appeared in the qualitative data: (1) Understanding what constitutes physical activity or exercise, (2) Facilitating or discouraging the performance of physical exercise, and (3) Effects of physical activity or exercise on psychological and social symptoms. The actual practice of exercise by patients with FMS is often perceived as leading to pain and fatigue, rather than a treatment facilitator. Physical activity and exercise can provide benefits, including relaxation, socialization, and increased muscle tone. However, minor opioids limit physical activity as they cause addiction, drowsiness, and decrease physical activity in Spanish men. Recommendations in a clinical setting should incorporate exercise as well as physical activity via daily life activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity in Cancer and Chronic Disease)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 509 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recreational Running Motivations among Breast Cancer Survivors

by Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15500; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315500 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1309

Abstract

Lifestyle-associated factors play an important role in prevention of such malignancies as breast cancer (BC), prostate cancer, or colon cancer. Physical activity (PA) before, during, and after diagnosis improves outcomes for BC. People after BC live with numerous side effects and PA has potential to reduce some of them. Unfortunately, few cancer survivors exercise regularly. The aim of this study was to ascertain motivations for running among BC survivors (in comparison with the motivations of healthy women) in order to better manage their attitudes in terms of PA and active lifestyle. A total of 317 Polish women took part in the study: 152 BC women (age 46.49 ± 7.83; BMI 24.78 ± 3.50) and 165 healthy runners (control group (age 36.91 ± 9.68; BMI 23.41 ± 3.94)) using the diagnostic survey method with the Motivation for Marathoners Scale (MOMS) questionnaire. Study results show that healthy runners had higher scores for health orientation, personal goal achievement, and affiliation compared to the group of BC survivors. The scores for weight concern, recognition, psychological coping, life meaning, and self-esteem were lower than those of BC survivors. These results should be included in the management of PA attitudes among BC survivors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity in Cancer and Chronic Disease)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kinesiophobia among Breast Cancer Survivors One Year after Hospital Treatment

by Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14565; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114565 - 6 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1693

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most dangerous health problems affecting women. Lifestyle-associated determinants like physical activity (PA) play an important role in BC treatment outcomes. Studies suggest that oncology patients are insufficiently physically active. One of the potential barriers is kinesiophobia—fear of movement due to expected pain and fatigue. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the level of kinesiophobia among women one year after BC hospital treatment depending on socio-demographic variables, stage and type of BC, lifestyle, and comorbidities. Polish women after BC (n = 138, age 46.5 ± 9.2, BMI 24.6 ± 4.0) participated in the study and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) questionnaire was used in the diagnostic survey. The study results show that women suffer from kinesiophobia after BC. Moreover, every third woman (32.6%) does not practice sport regularly one year after BC treatment. The lifestyle before BC diagnosis impacts the level of kinesiophobia after treatment—women who were not physically active before BC diagnosis declared higher levels than previously active women. The study result shows that a high level of kinesiophobia correlates with a low level of PA among women after BC. Women with obesity and diabetes also declared higher levels of kinesiophobia than women without comorbidities. The type and stage of BC have no influence on the level of kinesiophobia; however, in terms of socio-demographic variables, a direct association between kinesiophobia and age has been found—the greater the age, the higher the level of kinesiophobia. Further research on fear of movement in oncology is required in order to effectively eliminate hypokinetic attitudes in every type of female and male cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity in Cancer and Chronic Disease)

10 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polish Adaptation of the Modified Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for Fatigue (TSK-F) and the Revision of the Tampa Scale in Terms of Pain for Cancer Patients

by Mateusz Rozmiarek, Mateusz Grajek, Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko, Karolina Sobczyk, Karolina Krupa-Kotara, Piotr Nowaczyk, Janusz Wasiewicz, Tomasz Urbaniak, Wojciech Siejak, Urszula Czerniak, Anna Demuth, Aitor Martínez Aguirre-Betolaza and Arkaitz Castañeda-Babarro

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912730 - 5 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1748

Abstract

The aim of this study was to create a Polish adaptation of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia considering fatigue, and to verify the usefulness of the scale in the context of pain in cancer patients. The study was conducted at the Breast Cancer Unit, operating at the Greater Poland Cancer Centre, and at the Poznan Centre for Specialist Medical Services in Poznan. After considering the exclusion criteria, 100 people qualified for the interviews for the final study: 50 breast cancer patients and 50 healthy respondents (without cancer). Statistical analysis of the CFA score showed that the chi-square test was not significant (χ² = 10.243, p = 0.332), indicating an acceptable fit of items across scales. The reliability of the internal consistency of the scales was tested by examining the Cronbach’s alpha scores for each question/statement. The mean values for this indicator were 0.74 for the pain-related scale and 0.84 for the fatigue-related scale. Construct validity was confirmed for the scales; AVE for the pain-related scale was 0.64 and for the fatigue-related scale was 0.68. The results suggest the validity of examining kinesiophobia in the context of pain- and fatigue-related mobility anxiety among breast cancer patients in Poland, and that the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia can be adapted for different dimensions of the condition. Both versions of the scale demonstrated adequately prepared parametric constructs, and all correlations showed a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05). The use of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia in oncology patient studies in Poland may ultimately improve rehabilitation programs and enable the development of strategies to assist patients in supporting treatment to reduce movement anxiety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity in Cancer and Chronic Disease)

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Physical Activity in Cancer and Chronic Disease

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI