Feasibility of an Intervention Program to Encourage Physical Activity and Healthy Eating for Endometrial Cancer Survivors

Introduction:  Cancer survivors have a higher risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and could benefit from interventions focused on lifestyle changes, which are still scarce in developing countries.

Objective:  To evaluate the feasibility of a program to encourage healthy eating and physical activity for endometrial cancer (EC) survivors.

Method:  A randomized clinical trial was conducted within a prospective cohort and included women with EC aged 20-69 years old, surgically treated, and randomized into a control group (CG) and an intervention group (IG) after the procedure. Feasibility was assessed by recruitment, adherence, and retention rates. Effectiveness was tested through anthropometric, laboratory, dietary intake assessment, functional capacity tests, and physical activity levels. For statistical analysis, linear mixed models were adjusted to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the groups, considering the different repeated measures of the outcomes over time. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:  The IG showed a statistically significant reduction in serum insulin, ‘timed up and go’ test, and total daily energy intake. There was a statistically significant difference between groups for anthropometric variables, with positive variation observed between time 0 and time 3 in the CG and negative in the IG. Recruitment, adherence, and retention rates were 52.1%, 64.5%, and 90.3%, respectively.

Conclusion:  The intervention proved feasible in this population, although adjustments to the intervention format are needed. However, despite modest results in anthropometric and dietary intake parameters, studies with larger sample sizes are required to properly assess its effectiveness.

Key words:
Obesity; Endometrial Neoplasms; Cancer Survivors; Life Style