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Purpose: Promoting physical activity among cancer survivors is a high priority. Understanding barriers to physical activity provides an evidence base to inform relevant strategies for doing so.Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with colorectal cancer survivors at 5 (n = 538) and 12 months post-diagnosis (n = 403). We used an ecological model of health behaviour to classify participants' perceived barriers to physical activity into four sub-categories: physical environment, social environment, personal attributes, and disease-specific barriers.Results: Disease-specific barriers were perceived as the greatest challenge to colorectal cancer survivors being more physically active, closely followed by personal attributes. The physical environment presented the least salient perceived barriers; however, the physical environment was most closely associated with achieving sufficient levels of physical activity at 5 months post-diagnosis. The difficulties most frequently reported by participants at both time points were belief that they were already active enough, not feeling well enough to be physically active, and experiencing fatigue.Conclusions: These findings suggest potential points for intervention to influence physical activity among colorectal cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study investigated relations between benefit-finding domains and outcome measures. Participants were 1,757 individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer. A written questionnaire and telephone interview were completed at 5-months (Time 1) and 12-months post-diagnosis (Time 2). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed three psychometrically sound factors: personal growth, interpersonal growth, and acceptance. Results of regression analyses were conducted and found that Time 1 benefit-finding domains accounted for significant amounts of variance in Time 1 positive affect and cancer-related quality of life (both the aggregate score and its social/family, functional, and colorectal cancer-specific well-being subscales). Time 1 personal growth also predicted Time 1 psychological distress. After controlling for Time 1 positive affect, personal growth continued to predict Time 2 positive affect. Results delineate the benefit-finding domains in the context of colorectal cancer and their differential links with outcome measures cross-sectionally, and longitudinally. These findings have implications for theory building and the measurement of benefit-finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and short-term effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention for colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. METHODS: CanChange was telephone-delivered to 20 CRC survivors by health coaches over 6 weeks supported by an interactive participant handbook. We assessed program feasibility (program retention and satisfaction) and health outcomes [CRC-specific symptoms (fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea), quality of life (QOL), and lifestyle variables (physical activity, dietary intake, alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index (BMI))] at baseline and post-intervention. RESULTS: Post-intervention, 76% of participants rated the program as excellent, 100% rated the health coach as excellent, and 75% rated the handbook as excellent. In addition, 80% said that CanChange addressed their issues, 72% said that CanChange helped them deal more effectively with their problems, and 100% said that CanChange made them more motivated to make positive life changes. Finally, all participants said that they would recommend CanChange to other CRC survivors. From baseline to post-intervention we observed: non-significant improvements in all CRC-specific symptoms and QOL; a significant decrease in processed meat intake [median (interquartile range): 1.0 (3.0) vs 0.0 (1.0), p=0.01]; as well as non-significant improvements in sedentary behaviour, and the proportion of participants meeting the national guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake. We observed no change in smoking status, while the results for alcohol intake, physical activity, and BMI were variable. CONCLUSIONS: CanChange was a feasible and potentially effective lifestyle intervention to improve health outcomes for CRC survivors. A large randomised controlled trial will follow to test the longer-term effects of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: A better understanding of health behaviors after a cancer diagnosis is important, as these behaviors are related to physical functioning, disease recurrence, development of second primary cancers, and risk of other chronic diseases. Body weight and health behaviors (smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity) were examined in a population-based sample of colorectal cancer survivors and compared to a matched population group.Materials and Methods: Data were collected by telephone interviews pre-diagnosis (retrospectively reported), 6 and 12 months post-diagnosis for colorectal cancer survivors (n = 1,250). Comparison data were from a population-based cancer risk survey (n = 6,277).Results: Colorectal cancer survivors were most likely to be overweight/obese pre-diagnosis (66%) than at 6 months (54%) or 12 months post-diagnosis (61%). There was little variation from 6 to 12 months in the proportion of current smokers (7% and 8%, respectively) or high-risk drinkers (both 22%). The greatest changes were for physical activity, with 53% of survivor's sufficiently active pre-diagnosis, 32% at 6 months, and 38% at 12 months post-diagnosis. At 12 months, colorectal cancer survivors were more likely than the comparison group to be: underweight (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.38-3.31); a former smoker (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.26-1.63); a low-risk (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.09-1.44) or high-risk drinker (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.43-2.03); and insufficiently active (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.34-1.83) or inactive (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 2.39-3.19). However, colorectal cancer survivors were significantly less likely to be a current smoker (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.54-0.85).Conclusions: Our findings show particular scope for physical activity interventions for colorectal cancer survivors. Improving the general health of cancer survivors should help to decrease morbidity in this population and associated health system expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Case reports Conclusion Equine Coronavirus (ECoV) can cause gastrointestinal disease and was first described in 2000 in the USA followed by several international outbreak case reports. Disease manifestation is characterised by vague clinical signs, including mild pyrexia, lethargy and anorexia. Morbidity ranges greatly from 10% to 83%. Although uncommon, ECoV may result in death secondary to disruption to the gastrointestinal barrier causing endotoxaemia and hyperammonaemic encephalopathy. Unfortunately to date, there is no vaccine available to prevent ECoV.Three faecal quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)‐positive ECoV cases are described that presented with mild to severe colic signs: a 2‐year‐old Miniature Pony gelding from South Australia, an 8‐year‐old Arabian Riding Pony gelding, and a 6‐year‐old Warmblood mare, both from Western Australia. The diagnosis was based on a positive faecal qPCR, which is currently the gold standard diagnostic tool. All horses in this case series survived after medical management. The Miniature Pony presented with anorexia and mild colic signs. On day 5, the pony revealed severe colic signs unresponsive to analgesia along with severe abdominal distension secondary to caecal distension requiring surgical intervention.To the authors' knowledge, this case series is the first published report of ECoV cases in Australia, and it adds both to the clinical description of the disease in horses and to the differential diagnosis list of colic signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Studies provide conflicting evidence for the protective effects of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity on depression. Recent evidence suggests that sedentary behaviors may also be associated with depression. PURPOSE: To examine the associations of accelerometer-derived moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity and sedentary time with depression among a population-based sample. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using 2,862 adults from the 2005-2006 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. ActiGraph accelerometers were used to derive both moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity and sedentary time. RESULTS: Depression occurred in 6.8% of the sample. For moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, compared with those in quartile 1 (least active), significantly lower odds of depression were observed for those participants in quartiles 2 (OR=0.55, 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.89), 3 (OR=0.49, 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.93), and 4 (most active) (OR=0.37, 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.70) (p for trend p<0.01). In overweight/obese participants only, those in quartile 4 (most sedentary) had significantly higher odds for depression than those in quartile 1 (least sedentary) [quartile 3 vs 1 (OR=1.94, 95% CI, 1.01 to 3.68) and 4 vs 1 (OR=3.09, 95% CI, 1.25 to 7.68)]. CONCLUSION: The current study identified lower odds of depression were associated with increasing moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity and decreasing sedentary time, at least within overweight/obese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]