Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Patterns and correlates of accelerometer-assessed physical activity and sedentary time among colon cancer survivors

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 09 June 2016

Abstract

Background

Understanding of the physical activity and sedentary behavior of cancer survivors is limited by reliance on self-reported data. Here, we report the correlates, and patterns of accumulation, of physical activity (light, and moderate-vigorous; MVPA) and sedentary behavior, in colon cancer survivors, using accelerometer-based assessments.

Methods

Colon cancer survivors from Alberta, Canada (n = 92), and Western Australia (n = 93) (overall response rate = 21 %) wore an Actigraph® GT3X+ accelerometer for seven consecutive days and completed a questionnaire in 2012–2013. Accelerometer data (60 s epochs) were summarized using Freedson activity cutpoints and were adjusted for wear time. Linear regression analyses, conducted 2014–2015, examined correlates for different intensities of activity.

Results

Younger age, being employed, higher family income, and lower BMI were significantly correlated with MVPA, while gender, educational attainment, and BMI were correlated with light-intensity physical activity. Gender, comorbidities, and BMI were correlated with sedentary time. MVPA did not vary by day of the week, whereas the remaining time (as a sedentary/light ratio) showed significant variation, with Saturdays being more sedentary than average. When considering time of day, we found that evenings were when the likelihood of both MVPA and sedentary time was highest.

Conclusions

The low level of MVPA and high volume of sedentary time demonstrated by these objective data highlight the need for intervention in colon cancer survivors. The correlates and accumulation patterns described by this study may better inform interventions and translational research designed to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in colon cancer survivors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Baade PD, Fritschi L, Eakin EG (2006) Non-cancer mortality among people diagnosed with cancer (Australia). Cancer Causes Control 17(3):287–297

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Meyerhardt JA, Giovannucci EL, Holmes MD, Chan AT, Chan JA, Colditz GA et al (2006) Physical activity and survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis. J Clin Oncol 24(22):3527–3534

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Meyerhardt JA, Giovannucci EL, Ogino S, Kirkner GJ, Chan AT, Willett W et al (2009) Physical activity and male colorectal cancer survival. Arch Intern Med 169(22):2102–2108

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Meyerhardt JA, Heseltine D, Niedzwiecki D, Hollis D, Saltz LB, Mayer RJ et al (2006) Impact of physical activity on cancer recurrence and survival in patients with stage III colon cancer: findings from CALGB 89803. J Clin Oncol 24(22):3535–3541

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Kuiper JG, Phipps AI, Neuhouser ML, Chlebowski RT, Thomson CA, Irwin ML et al (2012) Recreational physical activity, body mass index, and survival in women with colorectal cancer. Cancer Causes Control 23(12):1939–1948

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Courneya KS, Friedenreich CM, Quinney HA, Fields ALA, Jones LW, Vallance JKH et al (2005) A longitudinal study of exercise barriers in colorectal cancer survivors participating in a randomized controlled trial. Ann Behav Med 29(2):147–153

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lynch BM, Cerin E, Owen N, Hawkes AL, Aitken JF (2008) Prospective relationships of physical activity with quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol 26(27):4480–4487

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Vallance JK, Boyle T, Courneya KS, Lynch BM (2014) Associations of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time with health-related quality of life among colon cancer survivors. Cancer 120(18):2919–2926

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Owen N (2012) Sedentary behavior: understanding and influencing adults’ prolonged sitting time. Prev Med 55(6):535–539

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Network Sedentary Behaviour Research (2012) Letter to the editor: standardized use of the terms “sedentary” and “sedentary behaviours”. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 37:540–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Campbell PT, Patel AV, Newton C, Jacobs E, Gapstur SM (2013) Associations of recreational physical activity and leisure time spent sitting with colorectal cancer survival. J Clin Oncol 31(7):876–885

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hawkes AL, Lynch BM, Owen N, Aitken JF (2011) Lifestyle factors associated concurrently and prospectively with co-morbid cardiovascular disease in a population-based cohort of colorectal cancer survivors. Eur J Cancer 47:267–276

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wijndaele K, Lynch BM, Owen N, Dunstan DW, Sharp S, Aitken JF (2009) Television viewing time and weight gain in colorectal cancer survivors: a prospective population-based study. Cancer Causes Control 20(8):1355–1362

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Lynch BM, Cerin E, Owen N, Hawkes AL, Aitken JF (2011) Television viewing time of colorectal cancer survivors is associated prospectively with quality of life. Cancer Causes Control 22(8):1111–1120

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lynch BM, Neilson HK, Friedenreich CM (2011) Physical activity and breast cancer prevention. In: Courneya KS, Friedenreich CM (eds) Physical Activity and Cancer Springer, Berlin 186:13–42. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-04231-7_2

  16. Lynch BM, Dunstan DW, Healy GN, Winkler E, Eakin E, Owen N (2010) Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time of breast cancer survivors, and associations with adiposity: findings from NHANES (2003–2006). Cancer Causes Control 21:283–288

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lynch BM, Dunstan DW, Winkler E, Healy GN, Eakin E, Owen N (2011) Objectively assessed physical activity, sedentary time and waist circumference among prostate cancer survivors: findings from the national health and nutrition examination survey (2003–2006). Eur J Cancer Care 20:514–519

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sabiston CM, Brunet J, Vallance JK, Meterissian S (2014) Prospective examination of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time after breast cancer treatment: sitting on the crest of the teachable moment. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 23(7):1324–1330

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Matthews CE, Chen KY, Freedson PS, Buchowski MS, Beech BM, Pate RR et al (2008) Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors in the united states, 2003–2004. Am J Epidemiol 167(7):875–881

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Salmon J, Cerin E, Shaw JE, Zimmet PZ et al (2007) Objectively measured light-intensity physical activity is independently associated with 2-h plasma glucose. Diabetes Care 30(6):1384–1389

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Freedson PS, Melanson E, Sirard J (1998) Calibration of the Computer Science and Applications, Inc. accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc 30(5):777–781

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Dunstan DW, Kingwell BA, Larsen R, Healy GN, Cerin E, Hamilton MT et al (2012) Breaking up prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Diabetes Care 35:976–983

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Atlas SJ, Deyo RA (2001) Evaluating and managing acute low back pain in the primary care setting. J Gen Intern Med 16(2):120–131

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Lynch BM, Cerin E, Newman B, Owen N (2007) Physical activity, activity change, and their correlates in a population-based sample of colorectal cancer survivors. Ann Behav Med 34(2):135–143

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Peddle CJ, Au HJ, Courneya KS (2008) Associations between exercise, quality of life, and fatigue in colorectal cancer survivors. Dis Colon Rectum 51(8):1242–1248

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Boyle T, Lynch BM, Courneya KS, Vallance JK (2015) Agreement between accelerometer-assessed and self-reported physical activity and sedentary time in colon cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer 23(4):1121–1126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Clarke J, Janssen I (2014) Sporadic and bouted physical activity and the metabolic syndrome in adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 46(1):76–83

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Lynch BM, Courneya KS, Sethi P, Patrao TA, Hawkes AL (2014) A randomized controlled trial of a multiple health behavior change intervention delivered to colorectal cancer survivors: effects on sedentary behavior. Cancer 120(17):2665–2672

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Kozey-Keadle S, Libertine A, Lyden K, Staudenmayer J, Freedson PS (2011) Validation of wearable monitors for assessing sedentary behavior. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(8):1561–1567

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Lynch is supported by a National Breast Cancer Foundation Early Career Fellowship (ECF-15-012). Boyle is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (1072266). Winkler is supported by a NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence grant (1057608). Courneya and Vallance are supported by the Canada Research Chairs program. Vallance is also supported by a Population Health Investigator Award from Alberta Innovates—Health Solutions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia

    Brigid M. Lynch

  2. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Brigid M. Lynch

  3. Physical Activity Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Brigid M. Lynch & Jessica Occleston

  4. Cancer Control Research, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Terry Boyle

  5. School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Terry Boyle

  6. Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

    Terry Boyle

  7. School of Population Health, Cancer Prevention Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Elisabeth Winkler

  8. RDNS Institute, Royal District Nursing Service, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Jessica Occleston

  9. Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Kerry S. Courneya

  10. Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, Canada

    Jeff K. Vallance

Authors
  1. Brigid M. Lynch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Terry Boyle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elisabeth Winkler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jessica Occleston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kerry S. Courneya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jeff K. Vallance
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brigid M. Lynch.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

The study was approved by Ethics Boards at Alberta Health Services (Alberta Cancer Research Ethics Committee), Athabasca University, Department of Health Western Australia and The University of Western Australia. All participants provided written, informed consent.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lynch, B.M., Boyle, T., Winkler, E. et al. Patterns and correlates of accelerometer-assessed physical activity and sedentary time among colon cancer survivors. Cancer Causes Control 27, 59–68 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-015-0683-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-015-0683-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation