Sedentary behavior and physical activity one year after colorectal cancer diagnosis: results from the ColoCare Study

Physical activity plays key roles in colorectal cancer survivorship; however, the impact of different clinicodemographic outcomes on cross-sectional and longitudinal objectively measured physical activity 12 and 24 months post-diagnosis are unclear.

ColoCare study participants (n = 165) wore an Actigraph GT3x accelerometer for 4-10 consecutive days to objectively assess activity levels 12 and 24 months after colorectal cancer diagnosis and resection. Associations between these clinical/demographic exposures and physical activity outcomes and longitudinal changes were determined using t-test, ANOVA F-test, and linear regression modeling, adjusting for common confounders (e.g., sex, age, stage).

Key physical activity and sedentary behavior variables significantly differed by demographic status, including minutes of weekly exercise by sex and age (age < 50: 364 min ± 303 min; age 50-70: 232 min ± 263 min; age > 70: 93 min ± 135 min, p < 0.001) and (%) daily sedentary time by age (age < 50: 64 ± 10%; age 50-70: 67 ± 7%; age > 70: 71 ± 7%, p = 0.003). Within the multivariate model, age was the primary measure consistently associated with activity differences. Participants who wore accelerometers 12- and 24-month post-resection (n = 52) significantly increased weekly exercise minutes (214 min ± 208 min vs. 288 min ± 316 min, p = 0.04).

Age is the primary clinicodemographic determinant separating physical activity levels in colorectal cancer survivors, and increases in exercise from 12 to 24 months are likely due to consolidation of sporadic daily physical activity into bouts of exercise.

Colorectal cancer survivors experience different volumes and changes in accelerometer-derived physical activity based on some (e.g., age) but not all (e.g., stage) clinicodemographic variables.