Greater physical activity levels are associated with lower prevalence of tumors and risk of cancer in Spanish population: A cross-sectional study.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and insufficient physical activity is a significant risk factor. This study analyzed the tumor prevalence based on sex, age, smoking, BMI, and physical activity level (PAL) in the Spanish people. Data from the Spanish National Health Survey (ENSE) was used, comprising a sample of 17,704 people diagnosed with malignant tumors. The findings revealed compelling associations (P < 0.001) between all variables examined and the prevalence of malignant tumors. Notably, women exhibited a higher prevalence than men (P < 0.05). Furthermore, individuals classified as obese displayed a greater prevalence of tumors than those within the normal weight range (P < 0.05). The analysis also showed that the inactive group had a higher prevalence of malignant tumors than the active group (P < 0.05). This study identified significant dependency relationships (P < 0.001) between PAL and the various population groups examined. Additionally, the general population analyzed in the ENSE2017 study demonstrated a reduced risk of developing malignant tumors among the active (P < 0.05) and very active groups (P < 0.05) compared to the inactive group. This risk reduction was consistently observed across different subgroups, including men, women, specific age groups, smoking, and BMI categories (P < 0.05). This study highlighted the importance of regular physical activity in reducing the risk and prevalence of malignant tumors in the Spanish population. These findings underscore the critical role of engaging in physical activity as a protective measure against cancer. Encouraging individuals to adopt an active lifestyle could significantly contribute to cancer prevention efforts and promote overall well-being.

Association between GHQ-12, Duke-UNC-11, Physical Activity, and Self-Perceived Health in Spanish Adults with Cancerous Tumours: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In Spain, people who have overcome some type of cancer have significantly worse self-perceived health (SPH) and higher rates of depression than people who have never suffered any type of cancer. Objective: to explore the relationships among physical activity levels (PAL), perceived social support (PSS), and SPH in terms of mental health and its dimensions in Spanish adults with cancerous tumours. Methods: A correlational study rooted in the National Health Survey 2017 for adults was carried out, including 627 Spanish residents who reported having malignant tumours. Results: A dependent association was found between PAL and SPH (p < 0.001). The mental health mean score decreased as PAL increased for the total sample and for both sexes, separately (p < 0.001). Low reverse associations were also observed between PAL and mental health (rho: −0.274; p < 0.001), successful coping (rho: −0.239; p < 0.001) and self-confidence (rho: −0.264; p <0.001). Moreover, PSS weakly and inversely correlates with mental health (r: −0.225; p < 0.001), successful coping (r: −0.218; p < 0.001) and self-confidence (r: −0.231; p < 0.001). A binary logistic model showed that active and very active people presented less threat of poor SPH, as did people with higher PSS (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Greater levels of physical activity are associated with larger mean scores in the three dimensions of mental health, perceived social support and self-perceived health in people with cancerous tumours.