title: Associations between physical activity and quality of life in a population-based sample of kidney cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical activity (PA) improves quality of life (QoL) in several cancer survivor groups, but no study to date has focused on kidney cancer survivors (KCS). The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of PA in KCS and determine any associations with QoL.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 1,985 KCS diagnosed between 1996 and 2010 identified through a Canadian provincial Registry were mailed a survey that consisted of the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire and several Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy QoL scales. Standard demographic and medical variables were also reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Completed surveys were received from 703 (43%) of the 1,654 KCS that received the survey. Over half (56.3%) were completely sedentary (CS), 17.6% were insufficiently active, 11.9% were active within public health guidelines, and 14.1% exceeded public health guidelines. After adjustment for key demographic and medical covariates, analyses of covariance indicated a dose-response association between PA and most QoL outcomes from CS to within guidelines (WG) with no further improvements for exceeding guidelines. For the primary QoL outcome of patient-reported physical functioning, the overall difference between CS and WG was 8.6 points (95% CI: 4.2-12.9, P < 0.001) which exceeds the minimally important difference of 5.0 points for this scale. Few associations were moderated by demographic or medical variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over half of KCS are CS; however, even some PA may be beneficial for QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PA is a modifiable lifestyle factor that may have implications for QoL and disease outcomes in KCS.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Plotnikoff
authors.forename: Ryan E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: North
authors.forename: Kerry S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Courneya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors