Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29843678›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2018

When helping helps: exploring health benefits of cancer survivors participating in for-cause physical activity events.

M Renée Umstattd Meyer, Andrew R Meyer, Cindy Wu, John Bernhart

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

M Renée Umstattd MeyerDepartment of Health, Human Performance, & Recreation, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, One Bear Place #970311, Waco, TX, 76798, USA. Renee_Umstattd@Baylor.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-5525-943X
Andrew R MeyerDepartment of Health, Human Performance, & Recreation, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, One Bear Place #970311, Waco, TX, 76798, USA.
Cindy WuDepartment of Management, Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University, One Bear Place #98006, Waco, TX, 76798, USA.
John BernhartDepartment of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, PHRC, 1st Floor, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
Baylor University · USUniversity of South Carolina · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOver 15.5 million Americans live with cancer and 5-year survival rates have risen to 69%. Evidence supports important health benefits of regular physical activity for cancer survivors, including increased strength and quality of life, and reduced fatigue, recurrence, and mortality. However, physical activity participation among cancer survivors remains low. Cancer organizations provide various resources and support for cancer survivors, including emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support. Many cancer organizations, like the LIVESTRONG Foundation, support the cancer community by sponsoring and hosting for-cause physical activity events, providing opportunities for anyone (including cancer survivors) to "help"/support those living with cancer. The concept of helping others has been positively related with wellbeing, physical activity, and multiple health behaviors for those helping. However, the role of helping others has not been examined in the context of being physically active to help others or its relationship with overall physical activity and quality of life among those helping. Therefore, we developed a path model to examine relationships between cancer survivors' (1) desire to help others with cancer, (2) physically active LIVESTRONG participation to help others, (3) regular physical activity engagement, and (4) quality of life.

methodsIn 2010, 3257 cancer survivors responded to an online survey sent to all people involved with the LIVESTRONG organization at any level. The hypothesized path model was tested using path analysis (Mplus 8).

resultsAfter list-wise deletion of missing responses, our final sample size was 3122 (61.8% female, mean age: 48.2 years [SD = 12.7]). Results indicated that the model yielded perfect fit indexes. Controlling for age, sex, income, and survivorship length, desire to help was positively related with physically active LIVESTRONG participation (β = .11, p < .001), which was positively related with regular physical activity (β = .30, p < .001), and regular physical activity was positively related with quality of life (β = .194, p < .001).

conclusionsResults suggest that cancer survivors can benefit from participating in for-cause physical activity events, including more regular physical activity. Researchers need to further investigate the role of helping others when examining health behaviors and outcomes, and cancer organizations should continue encouraging cancer survivors to help others by participating in physical activity events.

Indexed as

ExerciseAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCancer SurvivorsCommunity Health ServicesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultExerciseMuscular ChristianityNon-profit organizationsPhysical philanthropyPro-social behaviorsVolunteerism

Identifiers

PMID29843678
PMCPMC5975589
OpenAlexW2806037449

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.