Physical activity and sedentary behavior in patients during acute recovery from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Purpose: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients experience symptoms that can impact physical functioning. Little research has examined physical activity levels during acute recovery following HSCT. The present study aimed to examine physical activity during acute recovery post-HSCT and to identify demographic and clinical characteristics associated with physical activity during acute recovery post-HSCT.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from HSCT-recipients at approximately + 100 days post-HSCT. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire; study staff collected clinical information from the health record. Physical activity was measured using accelerometry (i.e., ActiGraph wGT3X-BT). We used univariate analyses to examine the relationship between demographic and clinical factors and physical activity.

Results: The present study included 63 participants (mean age = 61, 50.8% female, 92.1% White). Most participants completed college (68.3%) and earned a household yearly income > $75,000 (66.7%). On average, participants spent 13 min per day participating in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with a total of 81 min weekly. Daily step count was 3679, and weekly average was 23,094. Participants with a college education or higher and yearly income > $75,000 engaged in more physical activity.

Conclusion: HSCT recipients in acute recovery do not meet American Cancer Society recommended levels of physical activity. Those with fewer years of education and with lower income were at greater risk of low physical activity. Study findings identify potentially vulnerable cohorts of HSCT survivors at risk for low physical activity and indicate that future interventions to increase physical activity are warranted.