Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide, with an overall five-year survival rate of up to 90% in developed countries. The related occurrence of a second malignancy and chronic disease is increasing among breast cancer survivors because of their prolonged lifespan.healthy lifestyle behaviors to prevent disease have become an important issue for the follow-up stages of breast cancer patients. Breast cancer patients’ compliance with healthy lifestyle behaviors is lacking. Enhancing patients’ motivation to change health behavior is the main goal for healthcare providers.The aim of this study was to apply a rigorous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) to survey the prevalence rate of deviations in body constitution and to explore the health-related lifestyle behavior factors of deviations in body constitution.The aim of this study was to apply a rigorous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) to survey the prevalence rate of deviations in body constitution and to explore the health-related lifestyle behavior factors of deviations in body constitution.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was administered through postal mail. Subjects were recruited from a national organization for breast cancer patients (Taiwan Breast Cancer Alliance). Data were obtained from 311 breast cancer patients by questionnaires including a demographic record sheet, lifestyle behavior scales and the BCQ (Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu, and Stasis). Differences concerning the presence of body constitutions were analyzed by Chi-square tests and analyses of variance, and potential predictive factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression.
Results:
In total, 55.3% of the subjects had a Yang-Xu constitution, 61.0% had a Yin-Xu constitution, and 47.6% had a Stasis constitution. A total of 42.8% of the patients displayed a combination of the three types of body constitutions. Feeling stressed, physical exercise, and favoring fried food were predictors of the combined Yang-Xu, Yin-Xu and Stasis constitutions (p < 0.05). Staying up late was significantly associated with Yin-Xu (p = 0.017), and favoring salty food was significantly associated with Stasis (p = 0.019).
Conclusion:
A high prevalence of deviations in body constitutions was observed in the follow-up stage of breast cancer patients. Increasing the adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors might strengthen and balance body constitution, which could improve supportive care in breast cancer survivors.