Association between race and physical functioning limitations among breast cancer survivors

The goal of this study was to examine differences in physical functioning limitations among African-American and white breast cancer survivors.

Data were analyzed from 115 African-American and 712 white breast cancer survivors who responded to a hospital registry-based survey. Physical functioning limitations were assessed using a series of eight questions in which individuals were asked about their ability to perform a physical task such as walking a quarter of a mile. A four-category summary score, representing overall severity of limitation, was created using participant responses to the eight questions. Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between race and physical functioning limitation adjusted for potential confounders.

In the unadjusted model, the African-American breast cancer survivors were more than twice as likely to have a greater degree of physical functioning limitation compared to their white counterparts (OR 2.31; 95% CI 1.59, 3.38). After adjustment for covariates, including body mass index (BMI), the race OR was attenuated and no longer statistically significant (OR 1.44; 95% CI 0.92, 2.27).

Findings from this study showed that African-American breast cancer survivors were more likely to have worse physical functioning limitations than their white counterparts; however, much of this disparity was due to racial differences in other variables such as BMI. Future research should focus on effective interventions targeting modifiable risk factors of physical functioning limitations among breast cancer survivors with the goal of improving quality of life.