Exercise adherence in breast cancer patients: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey

To describe social support, self-efficacy, and exercise adherence and to measure the correlations among these factors in postoperative breast cancer patients in Southwest China.Social support, self-efficacy, and exercise adherence are interacting factors that contribute to physical and mental health and quality of life. Little is known about the status of these factors in Southwest China, and little research has explored the relationships among them.Using a stratified sampling method, we selected patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy in 20 secondary and tertiary comprehensive hospitals in Southwest China. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Questionnaires were given to 632 breast cancer patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria (from August 2018 to February 2019). The questionnaire included the following 4 sections: general information, perceived social support scale, strategies used by people to promote health, and postoperative functional exercise adherence scale. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the hypothesized relationships among social support, self-efficacy, and exercise adherence.The level of social support of postoperative patients with breast cancer in Southwest China was high (63.43 ± 9.25); however, levels of self-efficacy (95.00 ± 18.81) and exercise adherence (49.07 ± 10.57) were moderate. Higher social support correlated with higher exercise adherence (r = 0.526, P < .01). Higher self-efficacy was also correlated with higher exercise adherence (r = 0.427, P < .01). In-home support, out-of-home support, and self-efficacy had direct positive effects on exercise adherence (β = 0.37, P < .01; β = 0.23, P < .01; and β = 0.32, P < .01, respectively); in-home support indirectly affected exercise adherence through self-efficacy (β = 0.58, P < .01).Social support and self-efficacy correlated highly with exercise adherence. It is recommended that attention be paid to the development of self-efficacy and social support during postoperative rehabilitation to improve the exercise adherence of postoperative breast cancer patients.