A pilot study of pre-diagnosis dietary patterns and lifestyle factors in physically active and inactive women with breast cancer

Sep 30, 2026

A pilot study assessed nutritional status, health behaviors, and dietary habits among women with breast cancer across different physical activity levels. Data were collected from 108 patients aged 49–63, split into hPAL (n=64) meeting WHO activity recommendations before diagnosis and lPAL (n=44) not meeting them. Health behaviors were measured with Juczyński’s Health Behavior Inventory and the KomPAN questionnaire. Results showed nutritional status and behaviors differed by PAL, with a higher mean pHDI-10 index in hPAL, suggesting more favorable patterns among physically active women may support overall health and disease management.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Materials and methods

Participants

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN A pilot study of pre-diagnosis dietary patterns and lifestyle factors in physically active and inactive women with breast cancer Anna Gogojewicz1,2􀀍, Marta Liszka3,4, Piotr Nowaczyk4, Wojciech Siejak4, Agnieszka Bilska1, Monika Radzimirska-Graczyk1, Ewa Malchrowicz-Mośko5 & Natalia Popierz-Rydlewska1 The purpose of the study was to assess the nutritional status, health behaviors, and dietary habits of women with varying levels of physical activity who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study included 108 female patients aged 49 to 63 years (mean age 54.0 ± 9.15 years) diagnosed with cancer. For comparative analysis, the respondents were divided into two groups: the first group included women whose physical activity level (PAL) was consistent with WHO recommendations before the onset of the disease (hPAL; n = 64), and the second group (lPAL) included women who reported that PAL did not meet WHO recommendations (n = 44). The health behaviors were collected using two research tools: Juczyński’s Health Behavior Inventory (HBI) and the KomPAN questionnaire. The results obtained in our study showed that nutritional status and health behaviors depend on physical activity levels (PAL). The average pHDI-10 index of the hPAL group was statistically significantly higher than that ofthe lPAL group (26.2 vs. 22.8) . Our findings suggest that women who were physically active before diagnosis demonstrated more favorable dietary and health behavior patterns, which may contribute to better overall health and disease management. Keywords Breast cancer, Dietary choices, Diet quality index, Body composition, Physical activity, Prevention In 2022, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 670,000 deaths worldwide. Breast cancer occurs in every country in the world in women at any age after puberty but with increasing rates in postmenopausal life. The etiology of breast cancer is not clearly defined. However, many researchers indicate that the most important risk factors are obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, diet rich in saturated fat, aging of the population, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, history of radiation exposure, reproductive history (such as the age at which menstrual periods began and the age at first pregnancy), tobacco use, and postmenopausal hormone therapy1,2. There is also a hypothesis that the so-called westernization of life is mainly responsible for the increase in breast cancer incidence worldwide, including in Poland3. It has been reported that a healthy diet and physical activity impact the development of many chronic diseases4,5. Health behaviors are a significant factor that affects an individual’s health status6. Therefore, lifestyle changes are recommended as preventive measures against cancer. Dietary patterns (Mediterranean-style diet) and physical activity are the most modifiable aspects of a lifestyle that can bring health benefits, even after being diagnosed with the disease1,7,8. Regular physical activity has been shown to help prevent noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, and manage them. It also helps maintain a healthy body weight and can improve mental health, quality of life, and well-being9. The American College of Sports Medicine convened an International Multidisciplinary Roundtable on Exercise and Cancer in March 2018 to present evidence confirming the role of physical activity in preventing the development of certain types of cancer, including breast cancer. Furthermore, researchers emphasize that physical activity before and after disease diagnosis can improve quality of life10. Behavior modification and primarily increasing women’s awareness of breast cancer can significantly contribute to reducing the incidence. 1Department of Food and Nutrition, Poznan University of Physical Education, Królowej Jadwigi 27/39, 61-871 Poznań, Poland. 2Department

FAQs

What was the purpose of the pilot study?

To assess nutritional status, health behaviors, and dietary habits in women with breast cancer with varying levels of physical activity before diagnosis.

How were participants grouped in the study?

Women were divided into hPAL (PAL consistent with WHO recommendations; n=64) and lPAL (PAL not meeting WHO recommendations; n=44) based on activity level before disease onset.

Which tools were used to collect health behavior data?

Juczyński’s Health Behavior Inventory (HBI) and the KomPAN questionnaire were used to gather health behavior information.

Sep 30, 2026

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