Associations Between Cancer Risk Perceptions, Self-Efficacy, and Health Behaviors by BMI Category and Race and Ethnicity

Abstract

Background Cancer risk perceptions and high health-related self-efficacy may impact health behaviors and reduce risk of developing obesity-related cancers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are differences in associations among cancer risk perceptions, health-related self-efficacy, and health behaviors between people with healthy weight (PwHW) and people with overweight or obesity (PwO/O), and whether these associations vary by race and ethnicity. Method Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycles 2 and 3 were used. Data from 6944 adults were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression to assess associations among study variables. Results PwO/O who believed there are too many cancer prevention recommendations had lower log odds of meeting guidelines for strength training (β − 0.28; CI − 0.53 to − 0.04; p < 0.05) compared to PwHW. PwO/O who believed that obesity influences cancer risk were associated with low sedentary behavior (β 0.29; CI 0.05–0.54; p < 0.05) compared to PwHW. NHB PwO/O who held fatalistic beliefs and reported high self-efficacy ordered less food (e.g., fewer food items, foods with less calories, or smaller food sizes) compared to NHB Pw/HW (p < 0.05). Conclusion Health behavior differences in PwHW and PwO/O may be associated with differences in cancer risk beliefs and health-related self-efficacy. Findings support the need for further research considering BMI and race and ethnicity in obesity-related cancer prevention and control.