A Mindfulness-Based Lifestyle Intervention for Obese, Inactive Endometrial Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Endometrial cancer survivors (ECS) face risks from obesity-related morbidity and mortality.
• Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may improve self-regulation and lifestyle behaviors in ECS.
• The acceptability and efficacy of MBIs for ECS are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of the Mindfulness in Motion + Diet (MIM+D) intervention for ECS.
• To examine the preliminary efficacy of MIM+D in improving mindfulness, diet, physical activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in ECS.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen ECS completed assessments at baseline, 8, and 14 weeks.
• Feasibility was measured by program completion, attendance, and adherence.
• Repeated measures ANOVAs and Cohen's d effect sizes analyzed changes in mindfulness, diet, physical activity, and HRQL.

Main Results:

• 76% of ECS completed the MIM+D program with 90% attendance.
• While intention-to-treat analyses showed no significant improvements, completers demonstrated significant increases in mindfulness (p=.0039).
• Completers also showed small to moderate effect sizes for improvements in fruit and vegetable intake (d=.23), MVPA (d=.45), mental component summary of HRQL (d=.46), and sleep quality (d=.68).

Conclusions:

• Integrating mindfulness into behavioral interventions is feasible for ECS.
• ECS adhering to lifestyle programs like MIM+D may experience significant health benefits.
• Future research should investigate the long-term effects of mindfulness-based behavioral lifestyle interventions in ECS.