Document Type : Research Articles
Authors
1
Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
2
Colorectal Unit, Department of Surgery, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000, Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
3
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia.
4
Unit Physiotherapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Services, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, 56000 Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
5
Faculty of Medicine, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, 56000 Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Pilates exercise on the quality of life, functional capacity, cancer-related fatigue, depression and salivary cortisol of colorectal cancer survivors. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study which was conducted at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Hospital Al-Sultan Abdullah, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. The intervention group performed Pilates exercises with a certified Pilates instructor for eight weeks via online streaming from the participants’ homes. Meanwhile, the control group participants received the usual care as stipulated by their oncologists. The primary outcome was the quality of life. The secondary outcomes were functional capacity, cancer-related fatigue, depression and salivary cortisol. Data was collected at baseline and eight weeks after the exercise intervention. The effects of the intervention were analyzed using Repeated Measures Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) statistical test. Result: Thirty-six (36) colorectal cancer survivors were allocated into either a Pilates exercise intervention group (N= 18) or a control group (N= 18). Over eight weeks, the Pilates exercise group revealed significant group x time interactions in terms of quality of life (p = 0.003), role functioning (p = 0.012), functional capacity (p = 0.048), and stool frequency (p = 0.021). However, only the stool frequency symptom (p = 0.008) remained significant after controlling for the confounders of age, gender and stage of cancer. No significant changes in cancer-related fatigue, depression and salivary cortisol levels between the groups were observed after the intervention. Conclusion: Pilates exercise had positive impacts on role functioning, bowel function, and functional capacity among colorectal cancer survivors, ultimately contributing to an improvement in quality of life.
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