Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the relationship between lifestyle behavior and quality of life (QoL) among cancer survivors in Korea. Data for a total of 471 (173 men, 298 women) cancer survivors (CS) over 40 years old were obtained from the database of the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV). An identical number of subjects of the same age, sex, and education who had no restrictions in physical activity were randomly selected from the database and represented the control group (CG). Drinking, smoking, and exercise behavior were assessed. The number of heavy drinkers was lower in CS (9.4%) than in CG (15.8%) (p<0.01); similarly, there were fewer smokers in CS (9.1%) than in CG (14.0%) (p<0.05). The percentage of individuals engaging in vigorous, moderate, and low-intensity exercise did not differ between CS (13.6%, 14.7%, and 50.0%) and CG (14.3%, 13.4%, and 49.7%, respectively). No differences in Euro QoL Questionnaire 5-Dimensional Classification (EQ-5D) scores on both drinking and smoking behaviors were noted. Compared to the non-exercisers, the low-intensity exercisers in CG (0.91±0.10 vs. 0.94±0.09), vigorous-intensity exercisers in CS (0.84±0.62 vs. 0.91±0.11), and low-intensity exercisers in CS (0.82±0.22 vs. 0.88±0.13) scored higher on the EQ-5D. Although cancer survivors practiced more conscious health behavior in drinking and smoking, their engagement in exercise did not differ from that of non-cancer survivors. Since exercise engagement increases QoL in general, implementation of an educational program that promotes exercise engagement in cancer survivors may be required.
Highlights
The survival rate and survival time in cancer have been improving
Of the 8290 participants who were never diagnosed with cancer or had no physical activity limitations, 471 (173 men, 298 women) were selected for the control group (CG) group; the CG members were matched for age and sex with the cancer survivors (CS)
This study investigated the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and lifestyle to establish a basis for the development of a cancer survivorship program and lifestyle guidelines for Korean cancer survivors, using the KNHANES
Summary
The survival rate and survival time in cancer have been improving. Between 1999 and 2009, cancer incidence in Korea increased at an annual average of 3.4% as per statistics of the Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR). The survival rate has been consistently increasing, and it was reported that the five-year survival rate from 2005 to 2009 was around 64.1%, and that one out of every 100 people is a cancer survivor (Korea Central Cancer Registry, 2012). Danaei and colleagues reported in a review that smoking and drinking are associated with many kinds of cancer-related risk factors. Such mutual interaction may increase cancer mortality rate (Danaei et al, 2005). Conclusions: cancer survivors practiced more conscious health behavior in drinking and smoking, their engagement in exercise did not differ from that of non-cancer survivors. Since exercise engagement increases QoL in general, implementation of an educational program that promotes exercise engagement in cancer survivors may be required
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