Physical Activity and Perceptions of the Community Walking Environment Among Cancer Survivors, National Health Interview Survey, 2024.
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INTRODUCTION: Cancer survivors are a growing population in the US. Physical activity can reduce cancer-specific and all-cause mortality and decrease cancer recurrence risk among survivors. However, estimates of physical activity among cancer survivors by sociodemographic and health factors are not up to date. METHODS: We used data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey of civilian, noninstitutionalized US adults to calculate the proportions of cancer survivors who were inactive, insufficiently active, and sufficiently active through meeting leisure-time aerobic physical activity guidelines (0, 1-149, and ≥150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity equivalent physical activity, respectively) by sociodemographic and health factors and examined associations between physical activity and perceptions of the local walking environment. RESULTS: In 2024, based on our sample (N = 3,486), an estimated 21.1 million US adults reported a history of cancer. Among cancer survivors, 33.9% (95% CI, 31.9%-35.9%) were inactive, 28.1% (95% CI, 26.3%-30.1%) were insufficiently active, and 38.0% (95% CI, 36.0%-40.0%) were sufficiently active. Cancer survivors living in communities with features that support walking reported lower levels of inactivity compared with survivors living in communities without such supports. Physical inactivity was higher among those with multiple comorbid chronic conditions and those reporting fair or poor overall health. CONCLUSION: Levels of physical activity among cancer survivors are low, especially for survivors with additional comorbid chronic conditions or who report fair or poor overall health. Evidence-based physical activity interventions that address land use and environmental design alongside community engagement to promote walking may increase physical activity among cancer survivors.