Article Text
Abstract
Objectives Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) is associated with improved cancer prognosis in some studies, yet it may be a surrogate marker for physical activity. We investigated the associations of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) with circulating 25-OHD levels in cancer survivors, and determined whether associations differ by indoor and outdoor activity.
Design Cross-sectional study.
Setting The US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Participants Cancer survivors with available data on demographic information, measures of adiposity, smoking history, self-reported LTPA and circulating 25-OHD levels in five waves of NHANES (2001–2010).
Main outcomes measures Circulating 25-OHD levels.
Results Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations of self-reported LTPA with 25-OHD, adjusting for potential confounders. Due to the differences in LTPA measure, the analyses were conducted separately for 2001–2006 and 2007–2010 data. We further estimated associations by indoor and outdoor activity in the 2001–2006 data. There were 1530 cancer survivors (mean age=60.5 years, mean body mass index=28.6 kg/m2). The prevalent cancer sites were breast (19.3%), prostate (18.8%), cervix (10.4%) and colon (8.6%). Compared with inactive cancer survivors, being physically active was associated with higher circulating 25-OHD levels (8.07 nmol/L, 95% CI 4.63 to 11.52) for 2001–2006 data. In the mutually adjusted model, higher outdoor activity (5.83 nmol/L, 95% CI 1.64 to 10.01), but not indoor activity (2.93 nmol/L, 95% CI −1.80 to 7.66), was associated with statistically significantly higher 25-OHD levels. The interaction between indoor and outdoor activities was, however, not significant (p=0.29). The only statistically significant association seen in the 2007–2010 data was among obese cancer survivors.
Conclusion Physical activity, particularly outdoor activity, is associated with higher 25-OHD levels in cancer survivors. In view of the possible beneficial effects of vitamin D on cancer prognosis, engaging in outdoor physical activity could provide clinically meaningful increases in 25-OHD levels among cancer survivors.
- cancer survivor
- cancer prognosis
- vitamin D
- physical activity
- NHANES
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Footnotes
Contributors LY and ATT conceived and designed the study, analysed and interpreted data, and drafted and reviewed the manuscript.
Funding This work was supported by the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Center at Washington University in St Louis (LY), and the Alvin J Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation and Washington University School of Medicine (ATT). The TREC Center is funded by the National Cancer Institute at NIH (U54 CA155496).
Competing interests None declared.
Ethics approval National Center for Health Statistics Research Ethics Review Board Approval.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Data sharing statement The NHANES data are publicly available at ttps://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/Default.aspx.