Abstract
While previous studies indicate a significant relationship between passion and well-being, there has been little research on this relationship in special population groups such as cancer. The purpose of the present study was to (1) examine the reliability of the passion scales for breast cancer survivors (BCS); (2) identify the activities that BCS reported as passionate; and (3) examine the association between harmonious and obsessive passion and physical activity participation and sedentary behavior in BCS. The dualistic model of passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) was used as a guiding conceptual framework. Women (n=122; mean age=55; 87% Caucasian) who were within 6 months post-treatment for breast cancer completed reliable and valid self-report scales for passion, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Cronbach alpha coefficients were .84 for both the harmonious and obsessive subscales. Results indicate that 52 out of 122 (43%) participants reported sport and physical activity as their passionate activity, the most common being walking (58%), conditioning (17%), and swimming (10%). Pearson correlation analysis suggest that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was positively correlated to both harmonious passion (r=.47) and obsessive passion (r=.23). Sedentary behavior (i.e., screen time) was positively correlated to harmonious passion (r=.20) but not obsessive passion (r=.03). Findings provide theoretical and practical applications for understanding the role of passion in the lives of BCS.
