Health Behaviors of Cancer Survivors: The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV, 2007-09)

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to describe the health behaviors of cancer survivors in the Republic of Korea and to compare them with the health behaviors of two control groups: (i) individuals with no history of cancer but with other chronic diseases and (ii) individuals with no history of cancer or other chronic diseases. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 17 311 adults at least 19 years of age who participated in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-09). Smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity and cancer screening behaviors of cancer survivors were assessed and compared with those of the two control groups. x 2 tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the likelihood and predictors of health behaviors. Results: The proportion of cancer survivors who were current smokers, heavy drinkers and engaged in physical activity were 9.6, 6.6 and 26.0%, respectively. Cancer screening rates reported among survivors were 44.2, 17.0, 49.8 and 47.7% for stomach, colorectal, breast and cervical cancers, respectively. Cancer survivors showed lower smoking and alcohol drinking rates compared with both control groups after adjusting for sex, age, marital status, education, household income and health insurance. Cancer survivors also showed stomach, breast and cervical cancer screening rates that differed from both control groups. However, in multiple analyses, these differences were not significant. Conclusions: Cancer survivors are more likely to adopt good health behaviors than individuals without a history of cancer. Further study is needed to determine the factors that lead to continued unhealthy behaviors after cancer diagnosis.

Adverse health behaviours among colorectal cancer survivors: a case study from Iran

“…The prevalence of current smoking was about 15% in this study, it was higher than other studies which reported about 10% (9,24). However, the prevalence of smoking cigarette/hookah among CRC survivors was lower than that in general population (14.6% vs. 22.7% for only cigarette smoking) (28).…”

“…The prevalence of sufficient PA was only 11%; women survivors, older patients, not working status, and those with comorbidities had a greater likelihood of not meeting the recommendation. Insufficient PA was much higher than the percentage reporting from other studies; for instance in a study in the US, 35% of colorectal survivors had sufficient PA (9) and based on the results of a study in Korea 26% of cancer survivors were meeting the PA recommendation (24). Evidence from other studies showed that younger cancer survivors (18 to 40 years of age) were more likely to meet the PA recommendations (37.6%) than older survivors (age 40 to 64 years of age and those ≥65 years of age which were 33.0% and 24.9% respectively) (25).…”

Health Behaviors of Korean Gastric Cancer Survivors with Hypertension: A Propensity Analysis of KNHANES III-V (2005–2012)

“…There was no significant difference between the two groups. Although this result was consistent with the findings of a previous study based on KHANESIV [ 25 ], it was inconsistent with the findings of others that reported some leisure physical activity in the past month for 68.5% of cancer survivors [ 8 ] or 30 minutes of brisk walking more than once a week for 69% of breast cancer survivors [ 32 ]. The present study's low level of physical activity may be due to the stricter evaluation of cancer survivors based on the most recently updated 2013 ACC/AHA lifestyle management guidelines.…”

“…Previous studies of cancer survivors' alcohol consumption have produced mixed results. One comparative study in Korea reported that 30.9% of cancer survivors were current drinkers, which was lower than that of the control group [ 25 ]. According to a study of U.K. cancer survivors who were diagnosed with cancer under the age of 15, they were less likely to be current drinkers than the general population [ 26 ].…”

Dietary pattern and hypertension in Korean adults

“…The objectives, design and methods of the KNHANES have been described elsewhere (17) . In brief, the survey was conducted to monitor the prevalence of chronic diseases, to assess trends in nutritional status and behaviours and to analyse risk factors for chronic diseases from a representative sample of the non-institutionalized Korean civilian population.…”