title: A description of the nutritional status and quality of life of Australian gynaecological cancer patients over time.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the quality of life, nutritional status and physical activity of women with gynaecological cancer over three time points.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women referred to a major gynaecological cancer service in Sydney for initial treatment were invited to complete validated questionnaires at baseline, three and six months after diagnosis. Quality of life was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF36) and the Symptom Distress Scale. Nutritional status was assessed using the Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment and physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form. Effect sizes corrected for correlation were calculated using Cohen's d and Friedman's test was used to compare scores. Complete case analysis was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty women were recruited and twenty-three (58%) completed assessment measures for all three time points. No important clinical or demographic differences existed between women who completed all measures and those who did not. Over the duration of the study, the number of well-nourished women increased from 16 to 21, while the number of malnourished women decreased from 7 to 2. Improvements in SF36 scores were seen in all aspects except general health, which declined (p>0.05). Statistically significant (p<0.05) improvements were seen for role physical, vitality, social functioning and role emotional. The median number of minutes of physical activity per week was highest at diagnosis and declined after that.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates the importance of assessing nutritional status at diagnosis for women with gynaecological cancer.
authors: Royal Hospital for Women, Barker St, Randwick NSW 2031 Australia. mary.ryan@sydney.edu.au
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Ryan
authors: Kate
authors: K
authors: White
authors: Jessica K
authors: JK
authors: Roydhouse
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Fethney
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires