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In 2020, 35.5% of cancer survivors aged 18 years and older reported no physical activity in their leisure time.
Background
As the number of cancer survivors grows and expected survival time increases, the health behaviors of these individuals are becoming an important focus of attention. Adoption or maintenance of healthy lifestyles after a cancer diagnosis has the potential to reduce both cancer- and non-cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Tracking these behaviors permits evaluation of how well cancer control efforts are working to reduce unnecessary disability and death among those with a history of cancer.
To enhance the length and health-related quality of life of cancer survivors, efforts are needed to encourage adequate physical activity. Physical activity may improve treatment outcomes and reduce the risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast, colon, and endometrium (lining of the uterus). Being active may also help to prevent weight gain and obesity, reducing the risk of developing cancers that have been linked to excess body weight. In addition to cancer risk, physical activity may also lower a person’s risk of other health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis.
Measure
The percentage of cancer survivors reporting no physical activity are based on the self-reporting of individuals with a cancer history who are interviewed as part of the annual population-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Participants were asked how often they perform light, moderate, or vigorous activity for at least 10 minutes.
Healthy People 2030 Target
- There is no Healthy People 2030 target for physical activity among cancer survivors, though it does include a national objective to increase the mental and physical health-related quality of life of cancer survivors. However, it is reasonable to set goals determined for the general population, which are to reduce the proportion of adults who engage in no leisure time physical activity to 21.2 percent and increase the proportion of adults who meet the objectives for aerobic physical activity and for muscle-strengthening activity to 28.4 percent.
- Healthy People 2030 Targets are developed and based on the general population and do not account for differences in the age distribution of cancer survivors compared to the general population. Cancer survivors are typically older than those in the general population who have not had cancer.
Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Note: Goals are indicated as blue line on Detailed Trend Graphs.
Data Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2020.
In 2019 the NHIS questionnaire was redesigned to increase relevance, enhance data quality, and minimize respondent burden. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges conducting in-person interviews for the 2020 NHIS, requiring changes to field procedures to conduct most surveys by telephone, which impacted survey response rates. For details related to the potential impacts of these issues, please refer to Potential Impact of NHIS Redesign and COVID-19 on the Cancer Trends Progress Report.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
No Leisure Time Physical Activity
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
35.5 | 33.4 - 37.7 |
Male
|
33.2 | 29.8 - 36.7 | |
Female
|
37.7 | 35.0 - 40.4 | |
By Age
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 18-44
|
24.4 | 17.8 - 32.5 |
Ages 45-64
|
29.1 | 25.4 - 33.1 | |
Ages 65 and older
|
41.0 | 38.4 - 43.7 | |
By Time Since Cancer Diagnosis
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
5 years or less since diagnosis
|
33.9 | 30.6 - 37.4 |
6+ years since diagnosis
|
35.4 | 32.7 - 38.2 | |
Compared to Remaining U.S. Population
| Overview graph | Age Group | Cancer Survivor | Remaining U.S. Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of population | Confidence Interval | Percent of population | Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 18-44 | 20.6 | 17.2 - 24.4 | 21.3 | 20.4 - 22.2 |
| Ages 45-64 | 28.5 | 26.5 - 30.5 | 27.3 | 26.3 - 28.2 | |
| Ages 65 and older | 40.2 | 38.6 - 41.9 | 38.0 | 37.0 - 39.0 | |
Meet Federal Guidelines
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
14.8 | 13.3 - 16.5 |
Male
|
16.5 | 14.1 - 19.3 | |
Female
|
13.0 | 11.2 - 15.0 | |
By Age
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 18-44
|
27.9 | 20.8 - 36.3 |
Ages 45-64
|
17.3 | 14.6 - 20.5 | |
Ages 65 and older
|
11.3 | 9.8 - 13.0 | |
By Time Since Cancer Diagnosis
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of cancer survivors | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
5 years or less since diagnosis
|
14.3 | 12.0 - 17.0 |
6+ years since diagnosis
|
15.8 | 13.8 - 18.1 | |
Compared to Remaining U.S. Population
| Overview graph | Age Group | Cancer Survivor | Remaining U.S. Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of population | Confidence Interval | Percent of population | Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 18-44 | 28.8 | 24.2 - 34.0 | 29.7 | 29.0 - 30.4 |
| Ages 45-64 | 18.8 | 17.2 - 20.6 | 19.9 | 19.3 - 20.5 | |
| Ages 65 and older | 12.7 | 11.7 - 13.7 | 13.1 | 12.5 - 13.6 | |
Additional Information on Cancer Survivors and Physical Activity
- Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment. National Cancer Institute.
- Health and Well-Being After a Cancer Diagnosis. National Cancer Institute.
- Physical Activity and Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- Physical Activity and the Person with Cancer. American Cancer Society.
- Living Beyond Cancer. National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.
- Physical Activity Evidence-Based Programs Listing. National Cancer Institute.
- Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors: Consensus Statement from International Multidisciplinary Roundtable. Campbell KL, Winters-Stone KM, Wiskemann J, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Nov;51(11):2375-2390.
- Pre- to postdiagnosis leisure-time physical activity and prognosis in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. Jung AY, Behrens S, Schmidt M, et al. Breast Cancer Res. 2019 Nov 7;21(1):117.
- The dose-response effect of physical activity on cancer mortality: findings from 71 prospective cohort studies. Li T, Wei S, Shi Y, et al. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Mar;50(6):339-45. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-094927. Review.
- Posttreatment trajectories of physical activity in breast cancer survivors. Lucas AR, Levine BJ, Avis NE. Cancer. 2017 Jul 15;123(14):2773-2780.
- The effectiveness of exercise interventions for improving health-related quality of life from diagnosis through active cancer treatment. Mishra SI, Scherer RW, Snyder C, et al. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2015 Jan;42(1):E33-53. doi: 10.1188/15.ONF.E33-E53. Review.
- Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021.
- Incorporating Weight Management and Physical Activity Throughout the Cancer Care Continuum: Proceedings of a Workshop. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018.
- Results of the Exercise and Nutrition to Enhance Recovery and Good Health for You (ENERGY) Trial: A Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention in Overweight or Obese Breast Cancer Survivors. Rock CL, Flatt SW, Byers TE, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2015 Oct 1;33(28):3169-76.
- Exercise is medicine in oncology: Engaging clinicians to help patients move through cancer. Schmitz KH, Campbell AM, Stuiver MM, et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2019 Nov;69(6):468-484.
- The Role of Physical Activity in Managing Fatigue in Cancer Survivors. Serdà I Ferrer BC, van Roekel E, Lynch BM. Curr Nutr Rep. 2018 Sep;7(3):59-69.
- Postdiagnosis sedentary behavior and health outcomes in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Swain CTV, Nguyen NH, Eagles T, et al. Cancer. 2019 Nov 12.
- Interventions for promoting habitual exercise in people living with and beyond cancer. Turner RR, Steed L, Quirk H, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Sep 19;9:CD010192.