title: Relationship between sleep and physical activity in female family caregivers at the initiation of patients' radiation therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate for differences in subjective and objective measures of sleep between physically active and inactive female family caregivers of oncology patients at the initiation of their spouses' radiation therapy and evaluate for differences in demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics between women in the 2 activity groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two radiation treatment centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female family caregivers of patients who began radiation therapy for prostate, lung, or brain cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women were categorized as inactive (n=38) or active (n=30) based on self-report ratings of activity over a period of 2 days. Activity groups were compared on demographic and clinical characteristics, self-reported measures of sleep and other symptoms, and objective measures of sleep using wrist actigraphy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inactive women had a higher number of comorbid conditions, lower levels of attentional function, less self-reported sleep time, a longer sleep onset latency, and a higher percentage of daytime sleep as measured by actigraphy compared with active women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inactivity in female family caregivers of oncology patients is associated with poorer self-reported sleep and decreased attentional function.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Willette-Murphy
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Marylin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Bradley E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Aouizerat
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wara
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miaskowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D002140:California; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D012890:Sleep; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology