Relationship between negative emotions and physical activity engagement after colorectal cancer: a network analysis...

From the moment of diagnosis, colorectal cancer patients face negative emotions, which can persist into the post-cancer period. Maintaining physical activity during and after colorectal cancer is increasingly recommended to preserve both physical and psychological health. This study aims to examine the links between negative emotions and motivation to engage in physical activity (PA) in the post-colorectal cancer recovery period, using network analysis.

Sixty-three people in the post-colorectal cancer recovery period and 62 people with no cancer history completed questionnaires on generalized anxiety disorder, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Illness Worry Scale, the Life Engagement Test, and the Physical Activity Motivation Scale in Health Context.

Network analyses revealed that anxiety and health-related worries were the strongest nodes and played a major role in the networks. In the post-cancer recovery group, anxiety had positive links with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to engage in PA, while health-related worries had positive links with extrinsic motivation to engage in PA, and life engagement had positive links with intrinsic motivation to engage in PA. In the group with no cancer history, only health-related worries had positive links with external regulation of PA.

These preliminary findings remain exploratory but emphasize that experiencing negative emotions does not necessarily hinder engagement in physical activity.