Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Prostate cancer survivors (PCS) often experience persistent side effects from treatment, such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression. These symptoms can negatively affect their daily functioning and overall quality of life. However, PCS experience different levels of symptom burden, and the reasons for these differences are not yet fully understood. Our study investigated whether groups of PCS could be identified based on their levels of fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and what lifestyle factors might predict who experiences these symptom burdens more. We analyzed data from 115 men across Canada who were sitting for more than eight hours a day and who had previously been treated for localized prostate cancer. We found two distinct groups: one with a relatively low symptom burden and another with a much higher symptom burden. Survivors who were older, engaged in more physical activity, or felt more capable of reducing their sitting time were less likely to fall into the high symptom group. In contrast, those with higher sitting time or higher education levels were more likely to experience elevated symptom burdens. Stronger habit formation and self-regulation skills related to reducing sedentary behaviour also appeared to be protective against higher symptom burden. These findings suggest that supporting survivors in building confidence, skills, and habits for reducing prolonged sitting and increasing physical activity may help lower fatigue, anxiety, and depression. This research can guide the development of targeted behavioural interventions to improve the everyday well-being of prostate cancer survivors, and ultimately enhance cancer survivorship care in Canada.