Compliance with Multiple Health Behaviour Recommendations: A Cross-Sectional Comparison between Female Cancer Survivors and Those with no Cancer History

Abstract

Lifestyle behaviours have an important role in preventing cancer, reducing treatment side effects, and improving survival and quality of life for cancer survivors. This study investigated adherence to multiple lifestyle behaviours among women with and without a cancer history. From the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) surveys, 2407 cancer survivors and 3896 controls (cancer free population) were identified. Based on the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) recommendations, adherence to six health behaviours (smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, sugary drink intake, and Body Mass Index [BMI]) were assessed. Overall adherence was low, and there were no differences between survivors and controls on adherence to any of the six individual health behaviours. However, both recent and long-term cancer survivors were more likely than controls to adhere to multiple health behaviours (p < 0.05). When participants with melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer were excluded, adherence was less likely (but not significant) in the cancer group than controls. Higher education (p < 0.01), being married (p < 0.01), and lower comorbidity of chronic illnesses (p < 0.01) were significantly associated with adherence to multiple lifestyle behaviours. Overall, the findings suggest that a cancer diagnosis may result in increased compliance with multiple health behaviour guidelines.

Sociodemographic and Health Correlates of Multiple Health Behavior Adherence among Cancer Survivors: A Latent Class Analysis

“…Most participants surveyed belonged to the moderate-risk lifestyle class and adhered to some of the NCCN guidelines for multiple health behaviors, which contrasts with the previous literature [ 15 , 32 , 33 ]. A small study ( N = 66) of cancer survivors from a survivorship care clinic found that only 7.6% were adherent to all six NCCN multiple health behavior guidelines [ 32 ].…”

“…Among the general population without a cancer diagnosis, it is well-established that males are more likely to report riskier health behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, compared to females [ 37 ]. However, sex differences in multiple health behavior change between males and females has yet to be explored thoroughly among cancer survivors [ 15 , 32 ]. Interpersonal relationships through marital status may also buffer against non-adherence through provision of social support for health behaviors [ 13 ].…”

Intervenção educacional de enfermagem dirigida à promoção dos comportamentos de saúde nos sobreviventes de cancro

“…Nevertheless, there is also evidence to suggest that cancer survivors are more likely to adopt healthy behaviors regarding tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and physical activity than people without a history of the disease (Frazelle & Friend, 2016;Park et al, 2015). Contrary to the results found by Tollosa et al (2019), these results are based on the fact that experiencing cancer can positively impact individuals' motivation to adopt risk-minimizing health behaviors (Park et al, 2015). As pointed out by one of the experts during the discussion, Seifert et al (2012) highlight motivation as a key mechanism for change and the development and maintenance of new behaviors.…”

“…When discussing health promotion areas, the experts, based on their experience with cancer patients, addressed the need for nursing interventions to prevent risky behaviors. Studies show a high prevalence of alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use, physical inactivity, and overweight among cancer survivors (Tollosa et al, 2019). Nevertheless, there is also evidence to suggest that cancer survivors are more likely to adopt healthy behaviors regarding tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and physical activity than people without a history of the disease (Frazelle & Friend, 2016;Park et al, 2015).…”

Therapeutic Physical Exercise Post-Treatment in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines

“…One intervention that has been effectively achieved to achieve slight improvements in quality of life is progressive resistance training [28]. However, maintaining adequate levels of physical activity, favoring the maintenance of high levels of quality of life, both in breast cancer survivors [28,29], and in other patient profiles [30][31][32][33], as well as in a healthy population [34,35] remains necessary.…”