Coping after cancer: Risk perceptions, worry, and health behaviors among colorectal cancer survivors

Abstract

This study asks whether the experience of cancer motivates healthy behavior change. Further, we asked whether such changes relate to risk perceptions and worry, as suggested by Leventhal's Parallel Processing Model. Male (n=41) and female (n=40) survivors of colorectal cancer were interviewed 1-14 years after they first completed treatment. Younger age was associated with stronger risk perceptions, more worry, and greater anxiety. Shorter-term, compared to longer-term survivors, reported higher risk perceptions and more frequent intrusive thoughts. Greater perceived risk, worry and anxiety correlated positively with intentions to make positive health behavior changes. Overall, these survivors did not report exaggerated risk perceptions, and they were not overly worried or anxious about cancer recurrence. However, low-level risk perceptions, worry, and anxiety motivated interest in adopting protective health behaviors.

Dietary change among breast and colorectal cancer survivors and cancer-free women in the Norwegian Women and Cancer cohort study

“…Compared to breast cancer survivors, colorectal cancer survivors have been an understudied group, and not much research exists on colorectal cancer and dietary changes [5,6]. Some recent studies of colorectal cancer survivors show results similar to those found among breast cancer survivors [6][7][8][9].…”

Nutritional and psychosocial status of colorectal cancer patients referred to an outpatient oncology clinic

“…Tsunoda et al [2] found a prevalence of 7.8% for anxiety and 36.7% for depression in ambulatory CRC patients in Japan. People with CRC may experience worry, concerns about recurrence, and high anxiety at particular times, especially right after diagnosis, when treatment begins, and when treatment ends [25]. There is an anticipatory anxiety and social embarrassment about acute and chronic diarrhea and fecal incontinence [26].…”

Suicide Rates and Risk Factors among Korean Cancer Patients, 1993-2005

“…The number of people who live with the aftereffects of cancer and its treatment-disability, fear of recurrence, and economic burden-is growing (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). Factors related to suicide include mainly clinical characteristics such as age at diagnosis (6,21), prognosis (5), psychiatric status (21,22), stage (1,3,6), time since diagnosis (1,6,21), and period of diagnosis (1,(4)(5)(6), and sociodemographic characteristics such as sex (1,3), race (1,21), and marital status (1,3,21).…”