The association of health behaviors with quality of life in lymphoma survivors

Abstract

The impact of change in health behaviors (physical activity [PA], alcohol and smoking) on quality of life (QOL) in lymphoma survivors is not well understood. We evaluated the associations of health behaviors with QOL domains at diagnosis and at 3-year follow-up (FU3) in 2805 lymphoma survivors. We report clinically significant QOL score differences, defined as scores that exceeded a minimally important difference threshold and were statistically significant. Current smoking was associated with lower QOL at baseline (p < 0.01) and at FU3 (p < 0.01). Meeting the American Cancer Society PA guidelines was associated with better functional wellbeing and overall QOL at FU3 (p < 0.01). An increase in PA from baseline to FU3 was associated with improvement in physical, functional wellbeing and overall QOL at FU3 compared to baseline (p < 0.01). Thus, QOL in lymphoma survivors is associated with their health behaviors and active interventions to promote positive lifestyle changes in lymphoma survivors are needed.

Keywords:

• Lymphoma and Hodgkin disease
• prognostication
• lymphoid leukemia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (P50 CA97274,U01 CA195568) and Lymphoma Research Foundation (LCRMP 555141).