Examining the relationship between physical fitness and spiritual fitness in cancer patients: A pilot study

AIM: To examine the relationship between spiritual fitness and overall physical fitness, and their resulting impact on feelings of depression and anxiety in individuals being treated for cancer.

METHODS: Thirty patients completed the McGill Quality of Life questionnaire and the Spiritual Fitness Assessment survey, and were asked to classify themselves as “Religious” or “Non-Religious”. After the questionnaires were completed, each patient underwent a comprehensive fitness assessment, which included assessments for VO_2max, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition, as well as height, weight, and resting heart rate and blood pressure. The data collected were averaged and analyzed using a one-way ANOVA test at the 0.05 level of significance.

RESULTS: Of the 30 participants, 17 classified themselves as “religious” (R) and 13 classified themselves as “non-religious” (NR). The R group had a higher body fat percentage and a lower VO_2max than the NR group. However, these results were not significant. It was also determined that the R group scored themselves significantly higher than the NR group on the Spiritual Fitness questionnaire, but reported significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety than their non-religious counterparts.

CONCLUSION: Health beliefs did not necessarily back up health practice; specifically, those respondents who classified themselves as “religious” reported that their beliefs positively influenced their health behaviors, yet physiological and psychological data did not support this claim.