SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, BODY IMAGE AND LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The present research aimed to verify the association between the perception of satisfaction with life, body image and level of physical activity among women diagnosed with breast cancer after the intervention of physical activities performed remotely in times of COVID-19. This is an epidemiological and analytical study. Sample composed of 27 women participating in the VIDA extension project, the intervention took place during the lockdown period due to COVID-19. Data were collected before and after the intervention. For the level of satisfaction with life, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was used, as for the independent variables, the following were used: the Body Image Satisfaction Scale (ESIC), the Silhouette Scale and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Version IPA. To verify the association between the variables, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.0 was used. The results showed significant differences in the physical activity level of the participants, with the Sedentary/irregularly active group of women presenting lower results in relation to sedentary lifestyle after the intervention. However, regarding the body satisfaction and body mass index variables, there was no statistically significant difference. It was verified in the study that despite the difficulty in exercising due to the negatively adverse circumstances of the pandemic scenario, the practice of regular physical activities influences the reduction of the risk of developing recurrences or metastases, which directly implied the maintenance of satisfaction with life of the participants.