Conference Abstracts - Summit on Cancer Health Disparities (SCHD25)
Vol. 5, Issue Supplement 1, 2025 · S1-1
Desire for Information on Physical Activity Among Cancer Patients and Correlated Factors: A Tunisian Monocentric Study
Wala Ben Kridis, MD, PhD,Cyrine Belfekih Hassen, MD,Ines Hammouda, MD,Afef Khanfir, MD
Submission received: 2025-01-27 / Accepted: 2025-02-14 / Published: 2025-04-24
Abstract
Background
Physical activity during and after cancer treatment offers significant benefits, including improved physical function and quality of life. However, patients often lack guidance on the type, intensity, and frequency of exercise that is safe for them. Understanding cancer patients' desire for information on this topic is key to developing tailored educational interventions. The aim of our study was to detect cancer patients' need for physical activity and its correlated factors.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted at Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax to assess cancer patients' desire for information about physical activity. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data, examining the relationship between demographic factors and patients' interest in physical activity information.
Results
Out of 135 surveyed patients, 70 patients (51.9%) expressed a desire for information on physical activity. The median age of these patients was 58 years [42-64], and 60% were under 65 years old. Sixty percent of the participants were female, resulting in a sex ratio of 0.67 males per female. Eighty percent were married, with a significant proportion reporting a stable family or social structure. Among the 70 patients interested in physical activity, the distribution of malignancies was as follows: 56.6% had breast and gynecological cancers, 17.1% had digestive cancer, 10% had urological cancer, 7.1% had ENT cancers, and 4.3% had lung cancer. Metastatic disease was present in 60% of the patients. Asking for information about physical activity was correlated with the age under 65 years old (p=0.04) and localized stage (p=0.03).
Conclusion
Our study shows that cancer patients were interested in learning about physical activity, especially in the case of patients under 65 years old and those with localized stage. These results highlight the need for tailored educational programs to address the specific exercise needs of cancer patients.