title: Associations between lifestyle factors and quality of life among older long-term breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Older cancer survivors are at increased risk for secondary cancers, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and functional decline and, thus, may benefit from health-related interventions. However, to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the health behaviors of older cancer survivors and the associations of those behaviors with quality-of-life outcomes, especially during the long-term post-treatment period.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 753 older (aged > or =65 years) long-term survivors (> or =5 years postdiagnosis) of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer completed 2 baseline telephone interviews to assess their eligibility for a diet and exercise intervention trial. The interviews assessed exercise, diet, weight status, and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older cancer survivors reported a median of 10 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week, and only 7% had Healthy Eating Index scores >80 (indicative of healthful eating habits relative to national guidelines). Despite their suboptimal health behaviors, survivors reported mental and physical quality of life that exceeded age-related norms. Greater exercise and better diet quality were associated with better physical quality-of-life outcomes (eg, better vitality and physical functioning; P < .05), whereas greater body mass index was associated with reduced physical quality of life (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current results indicated a high prevalence of suboptimal health behaviors among older, long-term survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer who were interested in lifestyle modification. In addition, the findings pointed to the potential negative impact of obesity and the positive impact of physical activity and a healthy diet on physical quality of life in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. mosherc@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Mosher
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sloane
authors.forename: Miriam C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Morey
authors.forename: Denise Clutter
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: Harvey J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Paige E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Demark-Wahnefried
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D017741:Survivors