Effect of Yoga and Mediational Influence of Fatigue on Walking, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine how reducing cancer-related fatigue (CRF) through yoga influences CRF's interference with walking, physical activity (PA), and quality of life (QoL) in cancer survivors.
Results Summary
Yoga significantly improved CRF's interference with walking, PA, and QoL, with 44%-53% of these improvements attributed to reductions in CRF. The effect size was -0.33 for all outcomes, indicating moderate but meaningful benefits.
Population
Cancer survivors (n=410) with insomnia 2 to 24 months posttreatment.
Effective Dosage
4-week yoga intervention (YOCAS).
Duration
4 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) | decrease | CRF's interference with walking | cancer survivors with insomnia 2 to 24 months posttreatment | effect size = -0.33 | significant improvements | #1 |
Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) | decrease | CRF's interference with physical activity (PA) | cancer survivors with insomnia 2 to 24 months posttreatment | effect size = -0.33 | significant improvements | #2 |
Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) | decrease | CRF's interference with quality of life (QoL) | cancer survivors with insomnia 2 to 24 months posttreatment | effect size = -0.33 | significant improvements | #3 |
Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) | decrease | CRF | cancer survivors | - | improvements | #4 |
Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) | increase | walking | cancer survivors | 44% | accounted for significant proportions of the improvements | #5 |
Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) | increase | physical activity (PA) | cancer survivors | 53% | accounted for significant proportions of the improvements | #6 |
Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) | increase | quality of life (QoL) | cancer survivors | 45% | accounted for significant proportions of the improvements | #7 |
BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) negatively affects survivors' walking, engagement in physical activity (PA), and quality of life (QoL). Yoga is an effective therapy for treating CRF; however, evidence from large clinical trials regarding how reducing CRF through yoga influences CRF's interference with survivors' walking, engagement in PA, and QoL is not available. We examined the effects of yoga and the mediational influence of CRF on CRF's interference with walking, PA, and QoL among cancer survivors in a multicenter phase III randomized controlled trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cancer survivors (n=410) with insomnia 2 to 24 months posttreatment were randomized to a 4-week yoga intervention-Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS)-or standard care. A symptom inventory was used to assess how much CRF interfered with survivors' walking, PA, and QoL. The Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form was used to assess CRF. Two-tailed t tests and analyses of covariance were used to examine within-group and between-group differences. Path analysis was used to evaluate mediational relationships between CRF and changes in CRF's interference with walking, PA, and QoL among survivors. RESULTS: Compared with standard care controls, YOCAS participants reported significant improvements in CRF's interference with walking, PA, and QoL at postintervention (all effect size = -0.33; all P≤.05). Improvements in CRF resulting from yoga accounted for significant proportions of the improvements in walking (44%), PA (53%), and QoL (45%; all P≤.05). CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion (44%-53%) of the YOCAS effect on CRF's interference with walking, PA, and QoL was due to improvements in CRF among cancer survivors. Yoga should be introduced and included as a treatment option for survivors experiencing fatigue. By reducing fatigue, survivors further improve their walking, engagement in PA, and QoL.