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Exploring the links between physical activity and posttraumatic growth in young adult cancer survivors
Caitlin Love1, Catherine M Sabiston
1Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Objective:
Set within a posttraumatic growth (PTG) framework, the purpose of this investigation was to explore social support and enduring distress as predictors of psychological growth. The moderating role of physical activity was also examined.
Method:
Sixty-four young adult cancer survivors (M(age) =28.83, SD=5.5 years) completed a survey assessing constructs within the PTG model, cancer and personal descriptive, and physical activity.
Results:
In a hierarchical regression analysis, stress (β=-0.04) and social support (β=0.46) were significant predictors of psychological growth (R(2) =0.24). The physical activity by social support interaction accounted for an additional 12.8% of the variance (β=-0.52), suggesting a strong positive correlation between social support and psychological growth in inactive individuals and a much weaker correlation for active individuals.
Conclusion:
These findings highlight the importance for young adult cancer survivors to seek social support, adopt appropriate coping strategies to endure distress, and to engage in regular physical activity to foster experiences of psychological growth following diagnosis and treatment for cancer.
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