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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Feb 3;18(2):664–672. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-08-0589

Table 6.

Differences in Lung Cancer Survivors’ Quality of Life According to Current Physical Activity Status

Quality of Life Measure Full Sample N = 175 Mean (SD) Current Physical Activity Status
Comparison Between Groups
Sedentary n = 35 (20.0%) Mean (SD) Low Activity n = 92 (52.6%) Mean (SD) Meet Guidelines n = 48 (27.4%) Mean (SD) Sedentary vs. Low Activity P Value Sedentary vs. Meet Guidelines P Value Low Activity vs. Meet Guidelines P Value
Physical functioning*** 45.5 (9.6) 41.9 (11.0) 44.6 (9.5) 49.6 (7.2) .204 <.001 .001
 Adjusted analysis .024 <.001 .110
Role limitations, physical problems** 45.9 (11.3) 44.1 (13.0) 43.9 (11.5) 51.0 (7.9) .931 .006 <.001
 Adjusted analysis .741 .021 .019
Bodily pain 48.4 (11.3) 46.2 (12.8) 48.0 (10.7) 51.0 (11.1) .470 .077 .127
 Adjusted analysis .454 .298 .665
General health perceptions* 48.4 (9.9) 47.8 (9.8) 46.8 (10.2) 51.8 (8.5) .612 .053 .003
 Adjusted analysis .886 .454 .302
Vitality** 51.9 (9.1) 48.1 (10.6) 52.2 (8.6) 54.3 (8.1) .042 .004 .149
 Adjusted analysis .001 .007 .842
Social functioning 48.7 (11.5) 48.0 (12.8) 47.9 (12.0) 50.9 (9.0) .973 .239 .094
 Adjusted analysis .407 .513 .903
Mental health 50.3 (9.5) 48.6 (9.9) 50.5 (9.7) 51.3 (8.7) .329 .186 .600
 Adjusted analysis .126 .270 .613
Role limitations, emotional problems 49.8 (9.9) 50.1 (9.7) 48.8 (11.0) 51.5 (7.6) .502 .477 .087
 Adjusted analysis .884 .623 .389
Dyspnea* 8.5 (2.9) 7.5 (3.1) 8.5 (2.9) 9.4 (2.6) .092 .003 .064
 Adjusted analysis .025 .012 .547
Fatigue* 2.3 (2.2) 2.5 (2.5) 2.6 (2.2) 1.6 (1.8) .899 .071 .007
 Adjusted analysis .712 .157 .197
Anxiety symptoms 4.8 (3.7) 5.2 (4.0) 4.8 (3.9) 4.5 (3.1) .615 .384 .609
 Adjusted analysis .255 .636 .394
Depression symptoms* 3.2 (3.1) 4.3 (3.8) 3.3 (2.9) 2.3 (2.6) .192 .009 .035
 Adjusted analysis .058 .033 .622

Note.

*

P < .05,

**

P < .01,

***

P < .001 for the association between the quality of life variable and current physical activity status. Each adjusted analysis controls for all of the demographic and medical variables shown in Tables 1 and 2. P values less than .05 are denoted by italics.

Sedentary = engage in no light, moderate, or strenuous activity; Low Activity = engage in some light, moderate, or strenuous activity, but below guideline recommended levels; Meet Guidelines = engage in at least 150 minutes per week of at least moderate intensity activity or engage in at least 60 minutes per week of vigorous intensity activity.

For each SF-36 subscale (physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, bodily pain, general health perceptions, vitality, social functioning, mental health, role limitations due to emotional problems), scores represent norm-based T-scores (general population mean = 50, general population standard deviation = 10), and a higher score represents better quality of life. For the dyspnea measure, a higher score represents lower dyspnea (possible range, 0–12). For the measures of fatigue (possible range, 0–10), anxiety symptoms (possible range, 0–21), and depression symptoms (possible range, 0–21), a higher score represents a greater prevalence of symptoms.