Sedentary Behaviour, Physical Activity, and Their Associations with Health Outcomes at the Time of Diagnosis in People with Inoperable Lung Cancer

Abstract

This study aimed to examine sedentary behaviour (SB), physical activity (PA) and their associations with health-related measures at the time of diagnosis in people with inoperable lung cancer. People newly diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer were invited to participate in the study and asked to wear an accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Variables analysed included time spent in SB, light intensity PA (LIPA) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA). Daily steps were also recorded. Data on symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), hand grip force, comorbidities and lung function were collected. Of the 120 patients referred to the study, 89 (74%) consented to participate, and SB/PA data were available for 79 (age 71 ± 11 years; 29 females). Participants spent 71% of their waking time in SB, 28% in LIPA and 1% in MVPA. Regression models demonstrated that increased SB was associated with more symptoms of fatigue and dyspnoea (p ≤ 0.02 for both), poorer HRQoL (general health and physical component score; p ≤ 0.02 for all) and lower hand grip force. For PA variables, higher daily step count was associated with better scores in all health-related measures (p < 0.05 for all). LIPA was associated with more health-related outcomes than MVPA. These findings may guide future interventions in this population.