by Carolyn Ee,
Adele Cave, Vaishnavi Vaddiparthi, Dhevaksha Naidoo, John Boyages
The Breast: Published: January 25, 2023
Purpose
Weight gain after
breast cancer is common. The aim of this study was to determine factors
associated with weight gain after breast cancer in Australian women.
Methods
A cross-sectional
online survey was conducted between November 2017 and January 2018. Women
living in Australia who self-identified as having breast cancer or ductal
carcinoma in-situ were eligible. We created stepwise linear and logistic
regression models to evaluate predictors for absolute and clinically
significant (≥5%) weight gain respectively.
Results
Data from 276 women
were analysed. Most were Caucasian and 92% had been diagnosed with Stage 0-III
breast cancer. Absolute weight gain was associated with hot flushes, being in
the menopausal transition at diagnosis, being less physically active than at
diagnosis, lower eating self-efficacy when watching television or using a
computer, and higher self-efficacy when anxious or nervous
(F-ratio = 3.26, R2-adjusted = 0.16, p < .001).
Clinically significant weight gain was associated with tamoxifen use (OR 2.7),
being less physically active than at diagnosis (OR 3.1), and lower eating
self-efficacy when watching television or using a computer (OR 0.82)
(Chi-square 64.94, df = 16, p < .001). Weight
gain was not associated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, aromatase inhibitor
use, number of lymph nodes removed, or body mass index at diagnosis.
Conclusions
Interventions to
prevent weight gain after breast cancer, particularly aiming to maintain
physical activity, should be targeted at women receiving tamoxifen. The role of
eating self-efficacy, especially attentive eating, in managing weight after
breast cancer should be explored.
