Association between physical activity, psychological mood profile and self-esteem among breast cancer survivors

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement that is performed on a repeated basis with the intention of improving health or performance. Research demonstrates beneficial effects of Physical Activity (PA) and exercise among breast cancer survivors before and after treatment on phychological outcomes, mood profile and self-esteem. Methods: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between Physical Activity, Psychological Mood Profile and self-esteem among breats cancer survivors. The participants were 115 Greek women aged between 18-65 (M = 51,97, SD = 8.36), who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and finished oncology treatment or hormone therapy for stage I-IIIa cancer for at least one and a half year ago. The Greek version of POMS, SES, SDS, and IPAQ questionnaires were given to alla participants. SPSS 22 package was used for the statistic analysis. Results: The results indicated that inactive women experienced higher levels of tension (t = 2.05, p < .01), higher levels of depression (t = 2.51, p < .01) and less self-esteem (t = 2.11, p < .01) than active women which were statistically significant. Additionally, they experienced more heightened feelings of anger (t = -1.11, p < .01), fatigue (t = -1.58, p < .01), confusion (t = -1.08, p < .01), stait-anxiety (t = -1.46, p < .01) and lower vigour (t = 1.12, p < .01). Conclusions: Based on the results it can be concluded that women who exercised acquired psychological benefits. More specifically, Physical Activity is associated with better mood state and self-esteem among breast cancer survivors.