Differences in Physical Activity Recommendations, Levels of Physical Activity and Main Barriers to Exercise Between Spanish and Polish Cancer Patients.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Physical activity (PA) and exercise have demonstrated numerous benefits for patients with cancer. However, there may be different barriers which vary according to geographical area. The aim of this study was to compare oncologists, PA recommendations, PA patterns and barriers in two different geographical areas. Methods: A total of 254 patients were included, 239 of them women and 15 of them men, while 41.3% of the sample was Polish and 58.7% of the sample Spanish. Results: In terms of differences in time spent on PA per day, the Spanish spent more time walking than the Polish did (p = 0.007). However, no significant differences were found between countries, types or intensity of exercise, and there was a significant relationship between age and type of PA modality (p = 0.002). At the same time, there were different reasons for not practicing PA (p = 0.009). The subsequent analysis showed that younger adults were prone to more vigorous-intensity exercise than the other age groups (p = 0.001, η² = 0.08). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between age groups, countries and sitting time (p = 0.01), with Polish patients spending more time sitting than Spaniards (p = 0.01, η² = 0.06). Conclusions: Although PA patterns in the two countries were similar, the main barriers to exercise differed. Therefore, PA programs should be as personalized as possible (taking into account sociodemographic, cultural and climatic characteristics). Ultimately, to improve the quality of life and health of their patients, oncologists should provide those activities that are most beneficial to their patients.