Associations between physical activity expectations, health literacy, and life satisfaction in cancer patients: results of a quantitative cross-sectional study.
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Central Germany, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany. [email protected].
- 2Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Central Germany, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany.
- 3Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
- 4Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, St. Marien Hospital Amberg, Amberg, Germany.
- 5Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Herzoghöhe Hospital, Bayreuth, Germany.
- 6Medical Clinic I, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- 7Department of Otorhinolaryngology, South Harz Hospital Nordhausen, Nordhausen, Germany.
Abstract
Purpose
Health literacy, physical activity, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing coping strategies, quality of life, and well-being in cancer patients. However, empirical evidence on their interrelationships remains limited.Methods
We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study between April and November 2024 at one Comprehensive Cancer Center and eleven oncological sites across Germany. A total of 316 cancer patients completed a standardized questionnaire assessing health literacy, self-reported sport participation, expectations toward physical activity, affective attitudes toward physical activity, CAM use, spirituality, nutrition, and life satisfaction. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, t-tests, and Spearman's correlations were performed.Results
Among the 316 participants, health literacy (M = 3.10, SD = 0.44) and life satisfaction (M = 7.03, SD = 2.02) were high. Health literacy did not differ significantly by self-reported pre-diagnosis sport participation. Life satisfaction likewise did not differ by self-reported pre-diagnosis sport participation. In contrast, more positive affective attitudes toward physical activity were significantly correlated with health-related expectations toward physical activity (r = 0.580, p < 0.001), body-related motives (r = 0.471, p < 0.001), and life satisfaction (r = 0.212, p < 0.001). CAM use was frequent, with 44.9% reporting vitamin D supplementation and 37.5% other vitamins or dietary supplements.Conclusion
While self-reported sport participation did not show significant associations with life satisfaction, motivational and cognitive factors-such as positive attitudes and expectations-were linked to health literacy and well-being. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening patient-centered communication, motivational counseling, and health literacy as key elements of integrative oncology.
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BibTeX
@article{ostendorf2026associations,
title = {{Associations between physical activity expectations, health literacy, and life satisfaction in cancer patients: results of a quantitative cross-sectional study.}},
author = {Franziska Ostendorf and Emilia Hintze and Luise Schütze and Christian Keinki and Dorota Lubgan and Ludwig Fischer von Weikersthal and Christoph Stoll and Gianluca Ciarlo and Jens Büntzel and Jutta Hübner},
journal = {Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s00432-026-06653-z},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955119},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Associations between physical activity expectations, health literacy, and life satisfaction in cancer patients: results of a quantitative cross-sectional study.
AU - Franziska Ostendorf
AU - Emilia Hintze
AU - Luise Schütze
AU - Christian Keinki
AU - Dorota Lubgan
AU - Ludwig Fischer von Weikersthal
AU - Christoph Stoll
AU - Gianluca Ciarlo
AU - Jens Büntzel
AU - Jutta Hübner
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology
DO - 10.1007/s00432-026-06653-z
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955119
AB - Purpose Health literacy, physical activity, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing coping strategies, quality of life, and well-being in cancer patients. However, empirical evidence on their interrelationships remains limited.Methods We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study between April and November 2024 at one Comprehensive Cancer Center and eleven oncological sites across Germany. A total of 316 cancer patients completed a standardized questionnaire assessing health literacy, self-reported sport participation, expectations toward physical activity, affective attitudes toward physical activity, CAM use, spirituality, nutrition, and life satisfaction. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, t-tests, and Spearman's correlations were performed.Results Among the 316 participants, health literacy (M = 3.10, SD = 0.44) and life satisfaction (M = 7.03, SD = 2.02) were high. Health literacy did not differ significantly by self-reported pre-diagnosis sport participation. Life satisfaction likewise did not differ by self-reported pre-diagnosis sport participation. In contrast, more positive affective attitudes toward physical activity were significantly correlated with health-related expectations toward physical activity (r = 0.580, p < 0.001), body-related motives (r = 0.471, p < 0.001), and life satisfaction (r = 0.212, p < 0.001). CAM use was frequent, with 44.9% reporting vitamin D supplementation and 37.5% other vitamins or dietary supplements.Conclusion While self-reported sport participation did not show significant associations with life satisfaction, motivational and cognitive factors-such as positive attitudes and expectations-were linked to health literacy and well-being. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening patient-centered communication, motivational counseling, and health literacy as key elements of integrative oncology.
SN - 0171-5216
SN - 1432-1335
ER -