Changes in modifiable risk factors in women at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic

TL;DR

The study found that the pandemic led to reduced physical activity among women at high risk for breast cancer, which could increase cancer cases in the future.

Contribution

The study links pandemic-related mental health issues to reduced physical activity and projects a rise in breast cancer cases.

Findings

41.6% of women reported reduced physical activity during the pandemic.

Poor mental health was an independent risk factor for reduced physical activity.

A projected 3384 additional breast cancer cases in Germany by 2030 due to pandemic-related changes.

Abstract

Modifiable lifestyle factors exert a substantial influence on the development of various diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the implementation of containment measures to mitigate the viral spread, which affected the maintenance of healthy habits.

Changes in lifestyle factors (e.g. physical activity, nutrition, smoking, drinking alcohol) within a cohort of German women at increased risk of breast cancer (BC) or ovarian cancer (OC) were evaluated through an anonymous web-based survey. The self-reported assessment of mental health was conducted using the PHQ-4 questionnaire. This tool combines two items from the Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression (PHQ-2) and two queries from the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2). Potential predictors of lifestyle changes were determined via multiple logistic regression analysis. A heuristic model was employed to project potential long-term consequences on BC incidence.

During the pandemic, 41.6 % of respondents reported reduced engagement in physical activity (PA), whereas 14.3 % reported increased engagement in PA. A score ≥5 on the PHQ-2 scale emerged as an independent risk factor for reduced PA (OR 12.719; 95 % CI 1.089–148.549; p = 0.043). By the heuristic approach, we projected an increase of BC by 3384 cases in Germany by 2030, which is attributable to the alterations in PA patterns during the pandemic.

Impaired mental health during the pandemic constituted a risk factor for unfavorable changes in PA. Consequently, a surge in BC may arise due to decreased engagement in PA. Healthcare professionals must remain aware of the potential risk factors that facilitate adverse alterations in modifiable risk factors caused by pandemic-related contingency measures or similar future events.

Figures