TY - JOUR PY - 2016// TI - A preliminary study on the efficacy of a community-based physical activity intervention on physical function-related risk factors for falls among breast cancer survivors JO - American journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation A1 - Lee, C. Ellen A1 - Warden, Stuart J. A1 - Szuck, Beth A1 - Lau, Y. K. James SP - 561 EP - 570 VL - 95 IS - 8 N2 - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-week community-based physical activity (PA) intervention on physical function-related risk factors for falls among 56 breast cancer survivors (BCS) who had completed treatments.

DESIGN: This was a single-group longitudinal study. The multimodal PA intervention included aerobic, strengthening, and balance components. Physical function outcomes based on the 4-meter walk, chair stand, one-leg stance, tandem walk, and dynamic muscular endurance tests were assessed at 6-week pre-intervention (T1), baseline (T2), and post-intervention (T3). T1 to T2 and T2 to T3 were the control and intervention periods, respectively.

RESULTS: All outcomes, except the tandem walk test, significantly improved after the intervention period (P < 0.05), with no change detected after the control period (P > 0.05). Based on the falls risk criterion in the one-leg stance test, the proportion at risk for falls was significantly lower after the intervention period (P = 0.04), but not after the control period.

CONCLUSIONS: A community-based multimodal PA intervention for BCS may be efficacious in improving physical function-related risk factors for falls, and lowering the proportion of BCS at risk for falls based on specific physical function-related falls criteria. Further larger trials are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0894-9115 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0000000000000440 ID - ref1 ER -