Physical activity levels in women with stage II or higher breast cancer: Association, difference and agreement between self-report and objective measurement methods

Summary Objective To help women with breast cancer (BC) be sufficiently active, accurate assessment of physical activity (PA) is important. This study compared self-reported and objectively-assessed PA in women with stage II+ BC. Methods Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) was assessed objectively using accelerometery (Actigraph® GT3X+) and using self-report (Active Australia Survey) and reported in weekly metabolic equivalent minutes (MET.min/wk). Associations, difference and agreement between methods were evaluated using Spearman's correlation, Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Bland-Altman analyses, respectively. Women were also categorised as being insufficiently (≤ 450 MET.min/wk) or sufficiently active (> 450 MET.min/wk) and compared using Cohen's Kappa. Results Participants (n = 50) were 51 ± 9 years, with a mean body mass index of 29 ± 6 kg/m2. Self-reported and objectively-assessed MVPA were moderately correlated (r = 0.46, P  Conclusion Self-reported MVPA using the Active Australia survey is comparable with objective assessments. For most who self-reported PA levels consistent with national guidelines, their objectively-assessed PA confirmed this to be true. Self-report methods can be used to identify women who need encouragement to stay active versus those who need targeted advice.