The Practice of Physical Activity on Psychological, Mental, Physical, and Social Wellbeing for Breast-Cancer Survivors: An Umbrella Review

Marta Zanghì; Luca Petrigna; Grazia Maugeri; Velia D'Agata; Giuseppe Musumeci

doi:10.3390/ijerph191610391

The Practice of Physical Activity on Psychological, Mental, Physical, and Social Wellbeing for Breast-Cancer Survivors: An Umbrella Review

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 20;19(16):10391. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191610391.

Authors

Marta Zanghì¹, Luca Petrigna¹, Grazia Maugeri¹, Velia D'Agata¹, Giuseppe Musumeci^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Anatomy, Histology and Movement Science Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°87, 95123 Catania, Italy.
² Research Center on Motor Activities (CRAM), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia n°97, 95123 Catania, Italy.

Abstract

(1) Background: The number of breast-cancer patients and survivors is increasing in the last years. Physical activity seems to be a feasible and useful complementary intervention to improve the physical, psychological, and social spheres and decrease some symptoms, especially for survivors. Consequently, the objective of the present umbrella review was to analyze the efficacy of different physical-activity interventions in the physical, mental, and social spheres of breast-cancer survivors. (2) Methods: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials on breast-cancer survivors and physical-activity effects were searched on the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus till 9 August 2022. The quality of the studies included was evaluated, and the results were narratively analyzed. (3) Results: Physical-activity intervention generally improves the physical, mental, and social spheres of breast-cancer survivors, but the studies included present heterogeneity in the protocols adopted. (4) Conclusions: A well-structured and planned physical-activity intervention is useful for improvements in the physical, mental, and social spheres of breast-cancer survivors, but the studies presented high heterogeneity. Yoga seems to be the most effective physical intervention to complement medical therapy.

Keywords: exercise; exercise training; movement; tumor.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Breast Neoplasms* / psychology
Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
Cancer Survivors*
Exercise
Female
Humans
Quality of Life
Survivors / psychology

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the University Research Project Grant (PIACERI Found—NATURE-OA—2020–2022), the Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), the University of Catania, Italy.