Prospective associations of adiposity with health-related quality of life during breast cancer survivorship among Black women.

BACKGROUND

Black breast cancer (BC) survivors face a disproportionately high burden of obesity, which may detrimentally impact health-related quality of life (QoL). This study examines the relationship between various adiposity measures-body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), percentage body fat (BF), and fat mass index (FMI)-and QoL in Black BC survivors participating in the Women's Circle of Health Follow-Up Study, a New Jersey-based population cohort.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 785 women aged 20-75, diagnosed with BC between 2012 and 2019. Participants completed interviews approximately 10 months (visit 1) and 24 months (visit 2) post-diagnosis. Adiposity measures were recorded at visit 1, while QoL was evaluated at visit 2 using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) overall score and subscales (physical, emotional, functional, social well-being, and BC-specific subscale). Multivariable robust Poisson regression models were used to estimate risk ratios for the association between adiposity and QoL, dichotomized as low/high based on sample medians.

RESULTS

High levels of general and central obesity were prevalent (58% and 75%, respectively). Women with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 had a 54% higher risk of lower overall QoL compared to those with BMI 18.5-24.9 (RR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.19-2.00). Elevated risk of low QoL was also observed for higher quartiles of waist circumference, BF, and FMI, primarily in physical well-being and BC-specific subscales.

CONCLUSION

Higher adiposity is significantly associated with lower QoL among Black BC survivors.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Maintaining a healthy weight may support long-term QoL in Black BC survivors.